The solar eclipse is an ideal time to study sun’s corona. It is the moon’s shadow blocking the strong solar rays to allow the instruments to detect subtle changes without saturation. A lunar orbiting satellite can also achieve this even better. As the satellite orbits the moon, it would experience solar eclipse many times. It would be a much better observation while there would be no obstruction like the earth’s atmosphere. The farthest the satellite is from the moon, the slower it would orbit and make much better observations. The satellite would also double as a communication relay for the surface instruments as well.
A simpler version of this idea was implemented by two satellites orbiting in formation. The one in front casting shadow like solar eclipse on the following satellite. Proba-3’s first artificial solar eclipse
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