What is the Proba-3 mission's "artificial eclipse"?

The Proba-3 mission uses a spacecraft to block the Sun's bright center, creating an artificial eclipse to view the fainter corona.

What are prominences on the Sun?

Prominences are large eruptions of plasma from the Sun's surface, extending into its corona.

How does Proba-3 capture images of the Sun's corona?

Proba-3 uses an occulter spacecraft to block the Sun and a coronagraph spacecraft to photograph the corona in its shadow.

Home / Science / NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN: Sun Erupts in Fiery Prominence Show

NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN: Sun Erupts in Fiery Prominence Show

23 Jan

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Summary

A new mission uses an artificial eclipse to view the Sun's corona.
The Proba-3 mission captured towering prominences erupting into space.
These prominences are cooler plasma structures in the extremely hot corona.

NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN: Sun Erupts in Fiery Prominence Show

Never-before-seen footage offers an extraordinary glimpse into the Sun's corona, the star's outer atmosphere. The European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission, launched in December 2024, utilizes a unique method involving two spacecraft to achieve this. One spacecraft acts as an "occulter," mimicking an artificial eclipse by blocking the Sun's bright center. The second spacecraft, a coronagraph, is positioned in the occulter's shadow to capture images of the faint corona.

This groundbreaking technique enabled the capture of a five-hour timelapse on September 2, 2025, revealing stunning details of the solar atmosphere. The footage highlights three massive eruptions of plasma, known as prominences, which extend outwards into space. These prominences, while still extremely hot at around 10,000 degrees Celsius, are significantly cooler than the surrounding corona, which can reach a million degrees Celsius.