The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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This image – combined of many exposures – captures 'totality' during the 2 July 2019 total solar eclipse, the moment that the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun from Earth's perspective, blocking out its light and allowing the Sun's extended atmosphere – the corona – to be seen.
The image is a high dynamic range composition of 10 images with exposure times of 1/800, 1/400, 1/200, 1/00, 1/50, 1/25, 1/13, 1/6, 0.3 and 0.6 seconds at ISO 100. The images were taken with a Canon EOS 200D DSLR mounted on a SkyWatcher Esprit 80 ED using Solar Eclipse Maestro software.
The processing of this image highlights the intricate detail of the corona, its structures shaped by the Sun's magnetic field. Some details of the lunar surface can also be seen.