Latest news with #AndreiZhukov
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Science
- Daily Mirror
Scientists create artificial eclipses in bid to understand solar storms
The European Space Agency has spearheaded a £154 million effort to understand the Sun's corona, which could provide unprecedented insight into to processes behind solar storms Stunning new pictures have captured the delicate moment top scientists were able to recreate a solar eclipse by placing orbiting spacecraft within a fingernail's width of one another tens of thousands of miles above the Earth. The European Space Agency (ESA) launched two satellites into the atmosphere in March last year, making them dance across one another after they settled just 150 metres apart. The two craft had been meticilously placed to within a fingernail's width to create the ideal conditions for study, with scientists hailing "incredible" results from the staged intersection. Incredible pictures have captured the process - which promises to massively advance the world's understanding of its star - on camera. New pictures exhibited by the ESA at the Paris Air Show capture the two spacecraft as they float into position in outer space, with the sun seen in the background before they attempt the delicate atmospheric dance. Another picture from the agency shows the result, with green-hued waves seen shooting out from behind the satellites after they align. The ESA said the pictures were taken by one of the satellites, which was positioned direcly in front of the other as it blocked the Sun, catching its corona - the the star's outer atmosphere. The intricate, prolonged dance requires extreme precision by the cube-shaped spacecraft, which are less than five feet (1.5 metres) in size. Their flying accuracy needs to be within a millimeter, the thickness of a fingernail. The meticulous positioning is achieved autonomously through GPS navigation, star trackers, lasers and radio links, and the entire mission, Dubbed Proba-3, has set the ESA back a massive $210 million (£154 million). But it has generated 10 successful solar eclipses so far during the ongoing checkout phase, the longest of which lasted five hours. Andrei Zhukov of the Royal Observatory of Belgium, the lead scientist for the orbiting corona-observing telescope, said he and his team are aiming to make the clipse last six hours by the time scientific observations begin this coming July. But Mr Zhukov said scientists are already thrilled by the preliminary results that show the corona without the need for any special image processing. He told the Associated Press: "We almost couldn't believe our eyes. This was the first try, and it worked. It was so incredible." Mr Zhukov anticipates an average of two solar eclipses per week being produced for a total of nearly 200 during the two-year mission, yielding more than 1,000 hours of totality in total. Such a significant amount of time would give scientists an unprecedented opportunity to explore the sun's corona, which has mystified physicists for centuries. Full solar eclipses typically produce just a few minutes of totality when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun - on average just once every 18 months. Coronal mass ejections result in billions of tons of plasma and magnetic fields being hurled out into space, occasionally resulting in geomagnetic storms, which can have devastating effects on the Earth.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A look at the first artificial solar eclipses created by two European satellites
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A pair of European satellites have created the first artificial solar eclipses by flying in precise and fancy formation, providing hours of on-demand totality for scientists. The European Space Agency released the eclipse pictures at the Paris Air Show on Monday. Launched late last year, the orbiting duo have churned out simulated solar eclipses since March while zooming tens of thousands of miles (kilometers) above Earth. Flying 492 feet (150 meters) apart, one satellite blocks the sun like the moon does during a natural total solar eclipse as the other aims its telescope at the corona, the sun's outer atmosphere that forms a crown or halo of light. It's an intricate, prolonged dance requiring extreme precision by the cube-shaped spacecraft, less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) in size. Their flying accuracy needs to be within a mere millimeter, the thickness of a fingernail. This meticulous positioning is achieved autonomously through GPS navigation, star trackers, lasers and radio links. Dubbed Proba-3, the $210 million mission has generated 10 successful solar eclipses so far during the ongoing checkout phase. The longest eclipse lasted five hours, said the Royal Observatory of Belgium's Andrei Zhukov, the lead scientist for the orbiting corona-observing telescope. He and his team are aiming for a wondrous six hours of totality per eclipse once scientific observations begin in July. Scientists already are thrilled by the preliminary results that show the corona without the need for any special image processing, said Zhukov. "We almost couldn't believe our eyes,' Zhukov said in an email. 'This was the first try, and it worked. It was so incredible.' Zhukov anticipates an average of two solar eclipses per week being produced for a total of nearly 200 during the two-year mission, yielding more than 1,000 hours of totality. That will be a scientific bonanza since full solar eclipses produce just a few minutes of totality when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun — on average just once every 18 months. The sun continues to mystify scientists, especially its corona, which is hotter than the solar surface. Coronal mass ejections result in billions of tons of plasma and magnetic fields being hurled out into space. Geomagnetic storms can result, disrupting power and communication while lighting up the night sky with auroras in unexpected locales. While previous satellites have generated imitation solar eclipses — including the European Space Agency and NASA's Solar Orbiter and Soho observatory — the sun-blocking disk was always on the same spacecraft as the corona-observing telescope. What makes this mission unique, Zhukov said, is that the sun-shrouding disk and telescope are on two different satellites and therefore far apart. The distance between these two satellites will give scientists a better look at the part of the corona closest to the limb of the sun. "We are extremely satisfied by the quality of these images, and again this is really thanks to formation flying' with unprecedented accuracy, ESA's mission manager Damien Galano said from the Paris Air Show. ___ AP journalist John Leicester contributed to this report from Paris. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Science
- Boston Globe
First artificial solar eclipses are created by two European satellites
It's an intricate, prolonged dance requiring extreme precision by the cube-shaped spacecraft, less than 5 feet in size. Their flying accuracy needs to be within a mere millimeter, the thickness of a fingernail. This meticulous positioning is achieved autonomously through GPS navigation, star trackers, lasers, and radio links. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Dubbed Proba-3, the $210 million mission has generated 10 successful solar eclipses so far during the ongoing checkout phase. The longest eclipse lasted five hours, said the Royal Observatory of Belgium's Andrei Zhukov, the lead scientist for the orbiting corona-observing telescope. He and his team are aiming for a wondrous six hours of totality per eclipse once scientific observations begin in July. Advertisement Scientists already are thrilled by the preliminary results that show the corona without the need for any special image processing, said Zhukov. 'We almost couldn't believe our eyes,' Zhukov said in an email. 'This was the first try, and it worked. It was so incredible.' Advertisement Zhukov anticipates an average of two solar eclipses per week being produced for a total of nearly 200 during the two-year mission, yielding more than 1,000 hours of totality. That will be a scientific bonanza since full solar eclipses produce just a few minutes of totality when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun — on average just once every 18 months. The sun continues to mystify scientists, especially its corona, which is hotter than the solar surface. Coronal mass ejections result in billions of tons of plasma and magnetic fields being hurled out into space. Geomagnetic storms can result, disrupting power and communication while lighting up the night sky with auroras in unexpected locales. While previous satellites have generated imitation solar eclipses — including the European Space Agency and NASA's Solar Orbiter and Soho observatory — the sun-blocking disk was always on the same spacecraft as the corona-observing telescope. What makes this mission unique, Zhukov said, is that the sun-shrouding disk and telescope are on two different satellites and therefore far apart. The distance between these two satellites will give scientists a better look at the part of the corona closest to the limb of the sun. 'We are extremely satisfied by the quality of these images, and again this is really thanks to formation flying' with unprecedented accuracy, the European Space Agency's mission manager Damien Galano said from the Paris Air Show.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists use satellites to mimic a total solar eclipse in space
Two European satellites have successfully manufactured artificial solar eclipses by maintaining a precise formation in space. This innovative technique offers scientists extended periods of totality on demand. The European Space Agency unveiled images from these eclipses at the Paris Air Show on Monday. The pair of satellites, launched in late 2023, have been creating simulated solar eclipses since March, while orbiting thousands of miles above the Earth. The satellites fly 492 feet (150 meters) apart. One satellite blocks the sun, mimicking the moon's role in a natural solar eclipse. The other satellite then focuses its telescope on the corona, the sun's outer atmosphere, which appears as a halo of light. It's an intricate, prolonged dance requiring extreme precision by the cube-shaped spacecraft, less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) in size. Their flying accuracy needs to be within a mere millimeter, the thickness of a fingernail. This meticulous positioning is achieved autonomously through GPS navigation, star trackers, lasers and radio links. Dubbed Proba-3, the $210 million mission has generated 10 successful solar eclipses so far during the ongoing checkout phase. The longest eclipse lasted five hours, said the Royal Observatory of Belgium's Andrei Zhukov, the lead scientist for the orbiting corona-observing telescope. He and his team are aiming for a wondrous six hours of totality per eclipse once scientific observations begin. Scientists already are thrilled by the preliminary results that show the corona without the need for any special image processing, said Zhukov. "We almost couldn't believe our eyes,' Zhukov said in an email. 'This was the first try, and it worked. It was so incredible.' Zhukov anticipates an average of two solar eclipses per week being produced for a total of nearly 200 during the two-year mission, yielding more than 1,000 hours of totality. That will be a scientific bonanza since full solar eclipses produce just a few minutes of totality when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun — on average just once every 18 months. The sun continues to mystify scientists, especially its corona, which is hotter than the solar surface. Coronal mass ejections result in billions of tons of plasma and magnetic fields being hurled out into space. Geomagnetic storms can result, disrupting power and communication while lighting up the night sky with auroras in unexpected locales. While previous satellites have generated imitation solar eclipses — including the European Space Agency and NASA's Solar Orbiter and Soho observatory — the sun-blocking disk was always on the same spacecraft as the corona-observing telescope. What makes this mission unique, Zhukov said, is that the sun-shrouding disk and telescope are on two different satellites and therefore far apart. The distance between these two satellites will give scientists a better look at the part of the corona closest to the limb of the sun. "We are extremely satisfied by the quality of these images, and again this is really thanks to formation flying' with unprecedented accuracy, ESA's mission manager Damien Galano said from the Paris Air Show.
Euronews
8 hours ago
- Science
- Euronews
Two European satellites from Proba-3 mission mimic total solar eclipse
A pair of European satellites have created the first artificial solar eclipse by flying in precise formation, providing hours of on-demand totality for scientists. The European Space Agency released the eclipse pictures at the Paris Air Show on Monday. Launched late last year, the orbiting duo have churned out simulated solar eclipses since March while zooming tens of thousands of kilometres above Earth. Flying 150 metres apart, one satellite blocks the sun like the moon does during a natural total solar eclipse as the other aims its telescope at the corona, the sun's outer atmosphere that forms a crown or halo of light. It's an intricate, prolonged dance requiring extreme precision by the cube-shaped spacecraft, less than 1.5 metres in size. Their flying accuracy needs to be within a mere millimetre, the thickness of a fingernail. This meticulous positioning is achieved autonomously through GPS navigation, star trackers, lasers and radio links. Dubbed Proba-3, the $210 million (€181 million) mission has generated 10 successful solar eclipses so far during the ongoing checkout phase. The longest eclipse lasted five hours, said the Royal Observatory of Belgium's Andrei Zhukov, the lead scientist for the orbiting corona-observing telescope. He and his team are aiming for a six-hour totality per eclipse once scientific observations begin in July. Scientists are already thrilled by the preliminary results that show the corona without the need for any special image processing, said Zhukov. "We almost couldn't believe our eyes," Zhukov said in an email. "This was the first try, and it worked. It was so incredible." Zhukov anticipates an average of two solar eclipses per week being produced for a total of nearly 200 during the two-year mission, yielding more than 1,000 hours of totality. That will be a scientific bonanza since full solar eclipses produce just a few minutes of totality when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun, on average just once every 18 months. The sun continues to mystify scientists, especially its corona, which is hotter than the solar surface. Coronal mass ejections result in billions of tons of plasma and magnetic fields being hurled out into space. Geomagnetic storms can result, disrupting power and communication while lighting up the night sky with auroras in unexpected locales. While previous satellites have generated imitation solar eclipses, including the European Space Agency and NASA's Solar Orbiter and Soho observatory, the sun-blocking disk was always on the same spacecraft as the corona-observing telescope. What makes this mission unique, Zhukov said, is that the sun-shrouding disk and telescope are on two different satellites and therefore far apart. The distance between these two satellites will give scientists a better look at the part of the corona closest to the limb of the sun. "We are extremely satisfied by the quality of these images, and again this is really thanks to formation flying" with unprecedented accuracy, ESA's mission manager Damien Galano said from the Paris Air Show. Hungary and Slovakia declined to endorse an EU text outlining how Europe will phase out its reliance on Russian natural gas and oil on Monday. The European Commission's proposal is to ban EU Russian gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports by the end of 2027, and the executive is now expected to propose the law on Tuesday, which could still pass without the approval of the two countries. 'Europe's energy security depends on its sovereignty. We must diversify partnerships, reinforce infrastructure, invest in renewables, and complete the single energy market. The time to act is now - we keep on learning this the hard way,' Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Polish Minister for Climate and Environment told journalists. 'Hungary vetoed Council conclusions urging the European Commission to move ahead with the plan to ban Russian gas and oil. Energy policy is a national competence and this endangers our sovereignty and energy security. Given the Middle East escalation, we proposed no such plan be tabled at all,' Hungarian minister for foreign affairs Péter Szijjártó wrote on X (formerly Twitter). The Polish Presidency, which will conclude its rotating leadership at the end of June, clarified that the text is not a formal 'Council conclusion' but rather an 'ambitious proposal' intended to gauge the views of member states on the proposed road map. European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen told journalists that the EU executive will present a new legislative proposal on the topic on Tuesday, given the strong support for the proposal. The Commission is reported to plan proposing the ban using a legal basis that could enable it to be adopted with a reinforced majority of countries and a majority of the European Parliament. A reinforced majority requires the support of 15 or more of the EU's 27 members, representing at least 65% of the EU's population. Lars Aagaard, Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, told journalists on Monday that Danish presidency will make an effort to 'reach [political approval] as fast as possible', adding: 'If we succeed in concluding [the legislation] before New Year, I think that we have done a tremendous job." The EU has significantly reduced its energy imports from Russia since 2021. Russian gas imports fell from 45% in 2021 to 19% in 2024, with projections of dropping to 13% in 2025. Crude oil imports from Russia declined from 27% in 2022 to 3% in 2024. Despite progress, Russia still supplies gas, oil, and nuclear materials.
