Days before a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America, scientists in Europe have revealed another plan to block out the sun. The audacious project — called Proba-3 — will align two spacecraft to produce artificial eclipses. By creating this complicated calibration, the mission will capture new views of the Sun — and complete the first-ever precision formation space flight. At an event today in Belgium, the European Space Agency (ESA) unveiled the Proba-3 satellites: the Occulter and the Coronagraph. Proba-3’s flightpath Artist’s impression of ESA’s Proba-3 mission blocking the Sun. Credit: ESA-P. Carril Under ESA’s plan, the Occulter will…

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