The Sun's outermost atmospheric layer, extending millions of kilometers into space and visible as a shimmering halo during total solar eclipses. Despite being farther from the Sun's core, it reaches temperatures of over 1 million degrees Celsius.
From Latin 'corona' meaning 'crown' or 'garland,' referring to its crown-like appearance around the Sun during eclipses. The term has been used since ancient times, though the corona's true nature as a super-heated atmospheric layer wasn't understood until the 20th century.
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