The Paradox of the Sun's Hot Corona; June 2001; Scientific American Magazine; by Bhola N. Dwivedi and Kenneth J.H. Phillips; 8 Page(s)

On August 11, 1999, tens of millions of people across Europe and Asia were witness to one of the most beautiful spectacles in all of nature: a total eclipse of the sun. The two of us were among them. One of us (Phillips) watched from Bulgaria as the glaring disk of the sun was blotted out by the cool black moon, bringing forth the full glory of the gleaming corona. The other (Dwivedi) watched from India as the glaring disk of the sun was blotted out by a dull haze of clouds at just the wrong time. But all was not lost, for the spectacle in the heavens was replaced by one on the ground. Across the holy river Ganges, chants reverberated as vast crowds waded in and prayed for the sun god to reappear.

Millions more will have their view this month as the moon's shadow sweeps across southern Africa. Astronomers will get another of their rare opportunities to make detailed studies of the enigmatic corona from Earth's surfac-another chance to make sense of one of the most enduring conundrums in astronomy.