Proba-3’s first artificial solar eclipse after recovery

The Sun’s inner corona, coloured artificially to appear dark green, in an image taken on 4 June 2026 by the ASPIICS coronagraph aboard Proba-3, during the mission’s first successful formation flight since the recovery in March. The quality of the image confirms that ASPIICS sustained no damage during the months following the loss of contact, and that it’s in great shape to deliver many more breathtaking eclipses and science data in the months to come. 

This image shows observations in the coronal green line – a spectral line emitted by iron atoms that lost half of their electrons due to extremely high temperatures. This allows us to see the hottest contents of the corona, at up to 2 million degrees.  A grid shows the position of the Sun behind the coronagraph’s occulter. 

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