BENGALURU: As the one-year anniversary of Aditya-L1, India’s first solar observatory spacecraft, approaches on January 6, researchers highlight its ground-breaking contributions. Since being successfully inserted into a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point, the satellite has provided crucial insights into ‘solar flares’ (sudden, intense bursts of radiation from the Sun), offering critical insights into the dynamics of the star.
The spacecraft’s observations are helping scientists understand how these powerful energy bursts influence Earth’s atmosphere, disrupt satellite communications, and affect power grids. Operating 24/7 from a vantage point four times the Earth-Moon distance, Aditya-L1 has been also studying coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and other phenomena that impact space weather, underscoring its role as an observer of the Sun.
Aditya-L1 has also delved deep into understanding coronal mass ejections (CMEs), massive eruptions of solar plasma and magnetic fields that are often linked to solar flares.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr BR Guruprasad, director of Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium (JNP) revealed that in July 2024, Aditya-L1 achieved a significant milestone by capturing and analyzing a CME triggered by a solar flare. Using its ‘Visible Emission Line Coronagraph’ (VELC), the spacecraft tracked the speed and trajectory of this ejection, providing data crucial for assessing its potential impact on Earth.
These observations were further supported by simultaneous data from other Indian satellites, including Chandrayaan-2 and Astrosat.
Operating from its vantage point at the L1 Lagrangian point, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, Aditya-L1’s position ensures uninterrupted observation of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. Unlike satellites in Earth’s orbit, which face periods of shadow, Aditya-L1’s unique orbit allows continuous monitoring.
The mission’s seven advanced payloads have been pivotal in uncovering the mysteries of the Sun, Dr Guruprasad said. He explained that the VELC, developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bengaluru, blocks light from the Sun’s photosphere, enabling detailed studies of the corona. This is complemented by the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), which captures ultraviolet images of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere, offering a comprehensive view of solar activity.
Meanwhile, the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) and Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) study solar flares in X-rays, while the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) and Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) focus on solar wind and plasma dynamics, Dr Guruprasad explained, adding that Aditya-L1 has created a valuable archive of solar phenomena, recording flares and CMEs that offer multi-wavelength insights into the Sun’s explosive behaviour.
Dr Guruprasad emphasised that the spacecraft has not only enhanced our understanding of solar phenomena but has also contributed to global space weather prediction efforts. By generating an extensive archive of solar data, Aditya-L1 has positioned itself as a critical resource for understanding and mitigating the impacts of solar storms on Earth’s modern infrastructure.