What is Sun’s corona?

The Sun’s corona is like a glowing halo around the Sun, visible during a total eclipse.

Imagine you have a super bright light bulb, that's the Sun. Now, think of it as being inside a glass bubble filled with very hot, thin air, this is the corona. Even though the corona isn’t as bright as the Sun itself, it stretches out far beyond the Sun’s surface and looks like a beautiful, shimmering crown.

The corona is made of gas that's super hot, even hotter than the surface of the Sun! But because it's very thin, it doesn't feel as intense. It’s kind of like how a hot air balloon feels warm but not scorching when you're inside it.

Normally, we can’t see the corona because the bright light from the Sun drowns it out. But during a total eclipse, when the Moon blocks the Sun completely, the corona becomes visible, like a soft, glowing halo around the dark Moon. It's like seeing the light from a lamp through a curtain that covers the bulb.

You can almost imagine it as a sun wearing a glittery cloak!