Scientific Study of Total Solar Eclipse

Why in the News?

On 12 August 2026, a total solar eclipse was visible along parts of northern Russia, Greenland, western Iceland, northern Spain and a small region of northeastern Portugal. A partial solar eclipse was visible across parts of North America and northwestern Africa.

The eclipse also provided scientists with an important opportunity to study the Sun’s corona, particularly the faint inner corona, which is difficult to observe under normal conditions.

Key Points

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking some or all of the Sun’s light. When the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s visible disc, it is called a total solar eclipse.

A total solar eclipse requires a precise alignment of the Sun, Moon and Earth. The period during which the Sun is completely obscured is called totality. The duration of totality is generally longest near the centre of the path of totality and decreases towards its edges.

A total solar eclipse provides a valuable opportunity for scientists to study the Sun’s corona, which is the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere and extends millions of kilometres into space.

The inner corona, located closest to the Sun’s surface, is extremely faint and is normally difficult to observe because the bright solar disc overwhelms it.

Scientists generally use an instrument called a coronagraph to artificially block the Sun’s disc and observe the corona. Such instruments are used on solar probes and other space missions, but scattered light can limit their ability to observe the inner corona.

During a total solar eclipse, the Moon naturally blocks the solar disc, allowing the faint inner corona to become visible as a halo surrounding the Moon. This provides scientists with a valuable opportunity to conduct ground-based observations of the solar atmosphere.

The corona is scientifically important because its magnetic field plays a major role in generating solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These events can affect satellites, GPS systems and communication networks on Earth.

The observations are also important in the context of the solar cycle, an approximately 11-year cycle during which solar activity rises and falls. The cycle is associated with changes in sunspot numbers, solar flares and other forms of solar activity.

Source: IE