Poster 6: Total Eclipses and Proba-3

AVAILABLE SOON

first author: Joe Zender
co-authors: Manuel Castillo-Fraile, Miguel Perez-Ayucar, Abel De Burgos, Michel Breitfellner

Abstract: Total Solar Eclipses have been used historically to observe and measure solar regions like its Chromosphere and inner and extended Corona, not visible with scientific equipment due to its low emission compared to the overwhelming photosphere. Despite modern ground and space instrumentation advances, the inner corona is still accessible only during eclipses, and therefore important scientific campaigns are scheduled during these astronomical events. Proba-3 will be the first spacecraft to overcome this, and be able to measure this very important region of the Sun's atmosphere. It will be ESA’s – and the world’s – first precision formation flying mission, with a pair of satellites in precise flying formation. The paired satellites will create continuous artificial eclipses, forming a 150-m long solar coronagraph to study the Sun’s faint corona closer to the solar rim than has ever before been achieved.