[Teaser] Eclipse challenge

[Teaser] Eclipse challenge


swap_eclipse_2020_12_14_logosBetween 2 and 5 solar eclipses occur every year. The PROBA2 satellite has been in orbit for almost 12 years and has witnessed a good number of eclipses in that period. To observe an eclipse from Earth, you need to be in the right location at the right time. However, because the PROBA2 satellite orbits the Earth, it is in a very favourable position to observe every eclipse, and will even cross the Moon’s shadow several times. Over the years we have gathered many images of partial and annular eclipses with the SWAP telescope onboard, which are not only beautiful to look at, but also scientifically useful.

The next solar eclipse will take place on 10 June 2021 and will also be partially visible from Belgium, the country where PROBA2 was built and is still operated from (eclipse visible in Belgium between 11:17 and 13:25 local time, maximum at 12:19 local time). For this special occasion, the PROBA2 Science Center at the Royal Observatory of Belgium is launching an eclipse photo challenge!

To take pictures of an eclipse, you need specialised equipment. Looking at the Sun with the naked eye is dangerous. But no worries, we will be providing images of the eclipse taken with the SWAP EUV imager, as we always do. However, this time we will also provide a special image which will have some hidden information in it. If you manage to decipher the secret message in our image, you might win a guided tour to the PROBA2 Science Center and the rest of the Observatory. More information is published on this page!

Link: https://proba2.sidc.be/EclipseChallenge