Regarding Aditya-L1, 2026 will be like no other.
It's the first time the observatory – which was placed into space last year – will be able to watch our star during the peak of its solar cycle.
According to scientific data, this occurs approximately every 11 years when the Sun's magnetic poles flip – a similar Earth scenario could be the planet's poles swapping positions.
This period marked by intense activity. It involves our star changing from calm to stormy and features a huge increase in the frequency of solar storms and massive solar flares – massive bubbles of plasma that blow out from the solar corona.
Composed of charged particles, a coronal mass ejection can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and reach a speed exceeding 2,000 miles each second. It can head out toward various directions, including towards the Earth. At maximum velocity, the journey takes an ejection about half a day to cover the vast distance between Earth and the Sun.
"In the normal or quiet periods, our star launches a few solar eruptions daily," says a leading scientist. "Next year, it's anticipated them to be over ten daily."
Studying coronal mass ejections ranks among the key research goals of India's maiden solar mission. Firstly, as these eruptions provide an opportunity to study the star in the center of our planetary system, and secondly, since events that take place on the Sun threaten systems on Earth and in space.
Effects on Our Planet and Orbital Systems
Coronal mass ejections seldom present immediate danger to people, but they do affect life on Earth by causing magnetic disturbances that impact conditions in Earth's vicinity, where nearly thousands of spacecraft, including many from India, are stationed.
"The most beautiful manifestations from solar eruptions include northern lights, being direct evidence that charged particles from Sun are travelling to Earth," the scientist clarifies.
"But they can also cause electronic systems on a satellite malfunction, disable electrical networks and affect meteorological and telecom spacecraft."
Historical Solar Incidents
- The strongest solar event in history was the 1859 solar superstorm which knocked out communication systems worldwide
- During 1989, sections of Quebec's power grid failed, leaving six million people without power for hours
- In November 2015, solar storms disrupted flight operations, causing disruption in Sweden and various European air hubs
- Recently in 2022, an ejection had led to dozens of spacecraft failing
With capability to see events in the solar atmosphere and detect solar activity or solar eruption as it happens, record its temperature at origin and watch its path, it can work as advanced warning to shut down electrical systems and spacecraft and move them out of harm's way.
Aditya-L1's Special Capability
There are other space observatories watching our star, Aditya-L1 has an advantage compared to rivals when it comes to studying the solar atmosphere.
"The instrument is the exact size enabling it to effectively simulate lunar coverage, fully covering the Sun's photosphere and allowing it an uninterrupted view of nearly the entire of the corona 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even during eclipses and occultations," notes the expert.
Essentially, this instrument acts like an artificial Moon, obscuring the Sun's bright surface to let scientists constantly study its faint outer corona – a feat the real Moon provide only during specific moments.
Moreover, it's unique that can study eruptions using optical wavelengths, letting it measure a CME's temperature and thermal output – key clues indicating the intensity of an eruption if it headed toward Earth.
Readiness for Maximum Activity
In preparation for the upcoming peak solar activity period, researchers collaborated analyzing information obtained from a major CMEs recorded by the mission has recorded until now.
It originated on 13 September 2024 at 00:30 GMT. Its mass totaled billions of tons – for comparison that sank Titanic was 1.5 million tonnes.
At origin, the heat reached extreme levels with energy equivalent comparable to 2.2 million megatons of TNT – relative to nuclear weapons used in Japan were 15 kilotons in scale respectively.
Although the numbers make it sound incredibly large, the scientist classifies it as a "medium-sized" one.
The space rock which wiped out the dinosaurs on our planet carried enormous energy and during solar peak occurs, there may be CMEs with energy content equal to even more than that.
"In my view this eruption we evaluated happened during periods of typical solar activity. Now this sets the standard for future comparison to evaluate what to expect when the maximum activity cycle arrives," he states.
"The insights from this will help us work out the countermeasures to be adopted safeguarding satellites in orbit. Additionally, they'll aid achieving a better understanding of near-Earth space," he adds.
