ESA’s Proba-3 Captures First-Ever Images of Artificial Solar Eclipse

Swift Summary

• The European Space agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission achieved the world’s first artificial solar eclipse using two satellites launched on December 5, 2024, from India’s Satish Dhawan space Centre.
• Proba-3 consists of two satellites performing precision formation flying: one blocks the sun while the other captures images of its corona.
• On May 23, 2025, it successfully captured new images of the sun’s inner corona using the ASPIICS coronagraph system during its initial operational tests.
• The solar corona is hundreds of times hotter than the sun’s surface and linked to phenomena like solar wind and space weather events that impact Earth’s communication systems.
• conventional observations rely on rare total eclipses; however, ESA has developed autonomous precision formation technology to overcome these limitations in space-based research.
• Each image from proba-3 is constructed by layering exposures with different durations for a full view. Scientists intend to use this data to study plasma physics and coronal mass ejections more effectively.

Images:

1. Artificial solar eclipse illustration – View Image
2. Sun’s inner green-light corona captured by ASPIICS – View Image
3. Coronal features seen during natural eclipses replicated – View Image

Read more at: Live Science Article

Indian Opinion Analysis

The prosperous launch and operation of ESA’s Proba-3 mission represent a significant milestone in global science collaboration where India played a key role as host for satellite deployment at its Satish Dhawan Space Centre. This achievement demonstrates India’s growing prominence as a reliable partner in international space programs.

Proba-3 employs groundbreaking technology that addresses observational challenges posed by Earth’s atmosphere or dependence on fleeting natural eclipses-offering scientists unparalleled ability to study phenomena critical to understanding solar dynamics like coronal mass ejections and their potential disruption of Earth’s infrastructure.

While not specific toward any national advantage for India directly (as intellectual ownership stays globally assigned here)- impacts also advance broader advancements where similar launch priorities synergise fields sustainability reliability next-tier roster-built recurring trop sequences