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For India's first solar observatory, 2026 will be truly unique.

This marks the initial occasion the spacecraft – that entered in orbit last year – can observe our star when it reaches its maximum activity cycle.

As per research, this occurs approximately once every 11 years when the Sun's magnetic poles flip – the Earth equivalent could be the planet's poles swapping positions.

It's a time marked by intense activity. It involves the Sun transition from calm to stormy and is marked by a significant rise in the frequency of solar storms and massive solar flares – enormous clouds of fire that blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Composed of charged particles, a coronal mass ejection can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and reach a speed of up to 3,000km each second. It can head out toward various directions, even toward the Earth. At top speed, it would take an ejection about half a day to cover the vast distance between Earth and the Sun.

"In the normal or low-activity times, our star emits a few solar eruptions a day," explains a leading scientist. "Next year, it's anticipated there will be over ten daily."

Studying coronal mass ejections is one of the most important scientific objectives for the Indian maiden solar mission. Firstly, because the ejections provide an opportunity to learn about the Sun at the centre of our solar system, and secondly, because activities that take place on the Sun threaten systems on Earth and in space.

Impacts on Earth and Orbital Systems

CMEs seldom present a direct threat to human life, yet they impact life on Earth by causing geomagnetic storms affecting the weather in Earth's vicinity, where about 11,000 satellites, including Indian satellites, are stationed.

"The most spectacular displays from solar eruptions are auroras, which are direct evidence that solar particles from our star journey toward our planet," the scientist clarifies.

"But they can also cause electronic systems on a satellite fail, knock down electrical networks and affect meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Historical Solar Incidents

• The most powerful solar event in history was the 1859 solar superstorm which knocked out communication systems worldwide
• In 1989, a part of Canadian electrical network was knocked out, leaving six million people without power for hours
• During late 2015, solar activity disturbed air traffic control, leading to disruption in Sweden and some other European air hubs
• Recently in 2022, a CME had led to dozens of spacecraft failing

If we are able to observe what happens on the Sun's corona and spot a solar storm or a coronal mass ejection as it happens, record its temperature at origin and track its trajectory, it can work as advanced warning to switch off electrical systems and satellites and move them to safety.

Aditya-L1's Unique Advantage

There are other solar missions watching the Sun, India's spacecraft holds an edge compared to rivals regarding studying the solar atmosphere.

"The instrument has perfect dimensions that lets it nearly mimic the Moon, fully covering the solar disk permitting an uninterrupted view of nearly the entire of the corona 24 hours a day, throughout the year, including during solar events," says the researcher.

In other words, the coronagraph acts like an artificial Moon, obscuring the Sun's bright surface allowing scientists continuously observe its faint outer corona – something the real Moon does only during eclipses.

Moreover, this is the only mission that can study eruptions using optical wavelengths, letting it measure eruption heat and heat energy – key clues that show how strong of an eruption if it headed toward Earth.

Preparation for Maximum Activity

To prepare for the upcoming peak solar activity period, scientists worked together to study information obtained from a major solar eruption that Aditya-L1 has observed recently.

This event began in September 2024 during early hours. The eruption's weight totaled billions of tons – the iceberg that struck the ship was 1.5 million tonnes.

Initially, its temperature reached extreme levels with energy equivalent comparable to millions of tons of TNT – relative to the atomic bombs used in Japan were 15 kilotons and 21 kilotons respectively.

Even though the numbers seem incredibly large, the scientist describes it as a moderate event.

The space rock that eliminated prehistoric life on our planet carried enormous energy and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, there may be CMEs carrying power matching greater levels.

"I consider this eruption we evaluated to have occurred when the Sun of typical solar activity. Now this sets the benchmark that we'll be using to evaluate what is in store during solar maximum arrives," he says.

"The insights gained will help us developing the countermeasures to be adopted safeguarding spacecraft in near space. Additionally, they'll aid us gain deeper knowledge of near-Earth space," he concludes.