Aditya-L1 Mission Discovers Sun's Eruptions

Aditya-L1 Watches the Sun’s Eruptions Up Close

India’s Aditya-L1 mission has made its first major scientific discovery about the Sun. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and NASA used its main instrument — the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) — to observe a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) in visible light for the very first time. A CME is a massive burst of charged gas and magnetic energy released from the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona.

Main Findings

The Aditya-L1 spacecraft is positioned near Lagrange Point 1 (L1), a stable location in space about 1.5 million km from Earth that allows continuous observation of the Sun without interruptions.

• The observed eruption traveled at a speed of 264 km per second.
• It had an estimated temperature of 1.8 million Kelvin and a mass of 270 million tons.
• The total energy released was about 9.4 × 10²¹ joules.
• For the first time, scientists measured electron density and speed close to the Sun’s surface during such an event.

Why It Matters

The observations by Aditya-L1 have significant scientific and practical implications:

• For Satellites: Solar eruptions can disrupt or damage communication and GPS satellites. Early detection allows for better protective measures and operational adjustments.
• For Astronauts: Understanding solar radiation levels helps space agencies plan safer crewed missions and avoid exposure to harmful radiation bursts.
• For Power Grids: Strong solar storms can induce currents in power lines and cause large-scale blackouts. Accurate tracking helps prevent such disruptions on Earth.

With this discovery, Aditya-L1 marks a milestone in India’s solar research program, providing crucial data for space weather forecasting and enhancing our understanding of how the Sun’s activity affects both space and Earth.