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space-iconSpace and Physics
clock-iconPUBLISHEDApril 13, 2016

Stunning Composite Image Shows Solar Eclipse From Both Earth And Space

Dr. Alfredo Carpineti headshot

Dr. Alfredo Carpineti

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.

Space & Physics Editor

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.View full profile

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.

View full profile
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This picture mixes a ground photograph of a solar eclipse with images of the solar corona from space. J. Vilinga (Angola, IAP), LASCO, NRL, SOHO, ESA, NASA; Processing: R. Wittich; Composition & Copyright: S. Koutchmy (IAP, CNRS)

How can you make an eclipse picture even cooler? You construct a composite image of the view from Earth and space, that's how.

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The picture above was composed after the total solar eclipse in March, and provides us with a phenomenal view of the solar corona – the aura of incredibly hot plasma that envelops our star.

The photo combines a false-color image from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), which can be seen in red, and the innermost true-color image from the ground, where the corona appears white over the blue sky. 

These types of observations are much more than just pretty pictures, though. They allow for a detailed study of the complex magnetic activity of the Sun. The magnetic activity of the corona is thought to be responsible for solar storms, which cause aurorae on Earth.


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