Scientists intend to chase solar eclipses in space

Total solar eclipses - when the moon comes between the viewer and the sun - are spectacular opportunities for scientists to observe the sun's corona. But from Earth, they are brief and rare.

So Chinese scientists have proposed a novel idea: Why not view a total solar eclipse in space by using the earth to cover the sun, thereby creating longer and more accurate observations to determine the source of solar storms?

NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the fastest spacecraft in history, blasted off on Sunday on a mission to study the sun at a closer range than any other spacecraft. The probe is expected to enter the sun's fiery corona after a journey of about seven years.