ISRO Launches Proba-3: ESA's Daring Mission To Touch The Sun On December 4

Using technology to block the Sun might sound like something out of a movie, but scientists are planning to do it for real. It’s not an evil scheme by a supervillain. Instead, experts aim to use this technique to study the Sun more closely and in greater detail.

The European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission will use two spacecraft. One spacecraft will block the Sun while the other observes it. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission, which stands for "Project for OnBoard Autonomy," on December 4, 2024, at 4:08 PM IST. The launch will happen at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, using ISRO's PSLV-C59 rocket.

What is the Proba-3 mission by the European Space Agency?

After launching together, the two spacecraft will separate approximately 18 minutes later. However, they will stay connected in orbit around the Earth, maintaining a distance of 144 meters. They will use lasers and light sensors to keep track of each other, ensuring precise coordination as they continue their mission.

One satellite will position itself to block the Sun, while the other will observe and record the event. To make this work, the shadow cast between the two spacecraft needs to stay perfectly aligned. This requires the spacecraft to move in formation with incredible precision—accurate to just one millimeter, which is about the thickness of a human fingernail.

Insights Gained from Creating an Artificial Eclipse of the Sun

A natural eclipse occurs when the Moon moves in front of the Sun, blocking its light. It’s a fascinating cosmic coincidence that the Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon but also 400 times farther away from Earth. This alignment allows the Moon to perfectly block the Sun during a total solar eclipse.

When this occurs, a glowing ring of light, often called a "ring of fire," appears around the Moon. This glowing ring is called the Sun's corona, which is the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere. It is a million times dimmer than the Sun's bright surface, so it can only be seen naturally during a solar eclipse—and only for a very short time.

Scientists are eager to study the corona because this is where solar storms originate. Strong solar storms can greatly affect life on Earth by interfering with satellites and disrupting electronic devices. Total solar eclipses are amazing to watch, but they don’t happen very often.

Solar eclipses occur about every two years, but they are only visible from a small area on Earth. This means that, depending on where you live, it could take up to 400 years to witness one from the same location. Solar eclipses can be hard for scientists to study because they don’t last long and can be hidden by clouds depending on the weather. The goal of ESA's new mission is to make it possible to study total solar eclipses at any time and for hours instead of just a few minutes.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA)

(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)