India’s first solar observatory mission in space, Aditya-L1, has reported its “first significant result” as per the analysis drawn by scientists in India.
The Aditya-L1 equipped with the Visible Emmission Line Coronagraph, or Velc, has captured valuable data that has helped the scientists estimate the exact time of a coronal mass ejection (CME) began.
To learn about the CMEs, which are essentially gigantic fireballs that blow out of the sun’s outermost corona layer, is a major scientific objective of India’s maiden solar mission.
“Made up of energy particles, a CME could weigh up to a trillion kilograms and can attain a speed of up to 3,000km [1,864 miles] per second while travelling. It can head out in any direction, including towards the Earth,” stated Prof. R. Ramesh of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics that designed Velc.
“Now imagine this huge fireball hurtling towards Earth. At its top speed, it would take just about 15 hours to cover the 150 million km Earth-Sun distance.”
The coronal ejection was captured by Velc on 16th July and began around 13:08 GMT. Prof. Ramesh, Velc’s principal investigator, has stated that the coronal ejection had originated on the Earth’s side this time.
“But within half an hour of its journey, it got deflected and went in a different direction, going behind the Sun. As it was too far away, it did not impact Earth’s weather.”
Solar storms, flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) affect the weather of Earth as well as the space environment of our planet. Among the 7,800 satellites orbiting the Earth are over 50 from India. Though such solar events do not directly pose a threat to human life, it affects the Earth’s magnetic field, bringing about much more significant consequences.
Auroras and Space Weather: A Dual Effect
One of the more colorful effects of solar activity, however, is the aurora borealis or aurora australis that can now appear at higher latitudes near the poles. Striking CMEs, in fact, can force auroras all the way to London and France to appear, like they are doing these past few months. But the threat is mostly in space, as CMEs can rampage satellite electronics, power grids, and communication systems.
“Today our lives fully depend on the communication satellites, and CME can trip the internet, the phone lines, and radio communication,” explains Prof. Ramesh. “That can be absolute chaos.”
Historical Events and Their Consequences
The most intense solar storm in history is known as the Carrington Event of 1859. It caused intense aurora displays and damaged telegraph networks worldwide. More recently, in 2012, Earth narrowly avoided a similarly severe storm that passed by NASA’s solar observatory, STEREO-A, rather than directly impacting our planet.
In 1989, a CME disabled Quebec’s power grid for nine hours, affecting six million people. On November 4, 2015, solar activity disrupted air traffic control in Sweden and other European airports, causing significant travel delays.
The Role of Monitoring and Prediction
To mitigate these effects, it is essential to monitor the Sun and predict solar storms. Real-time monitoring will alert the authorities to turn off the power grids and safeguard satellites before a storm hits.
Indian Contribution in Solar Observation
India has recently entered the league of countries viewing the Sun from space, with the launch of Aditya-L1. Named after the Hindu Sun god, Aditya-L1 provides continuous observations, even during eclipses and occultations. According to Prof. Ramesh, “The Sun looks like an orange ball of fire from Earth, but its outer corona is visible only during a total eclipse.”.
“With Velc, we can precisely estimate the time a coronal mass ejection begins and in which direction it’s headed,” says Prof. Ramesh. This capability is vital for early warning systems.
Aditya-L1 and Coronagraph Advantage
India’s coronagraph is superior to that of the joint NASA-ESA mission, Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Prof. Ramesh says that Aditya-L1’s coronagraph is designed to imitate the Moon’s task and mask the photosphere of the Sun, with a clear, uninterrupted view of the corona throughout the day and night 24/7. With this, the mission can see CMEs from its birthplace, which a larger coronagraph used by NASA-ESA cannot. It cannot see CMEs from their birth place.
Ground-Based Observatories in India
India, alongside Aditya-L1, also relies on its three ground-based observatories: in Kodaikanal, Gauribidanur, and Udaipur. These contribute a vital complement to findings made space-based and highly increase knowledge of solar activity.
Important Takeaways
Solar activity and its consequences have the capability to affect not only space but also our communication network, power grid, and satellites. Thanks to both Aditya-L1 and ground-based observatories, India brings forth its valuable data towards international research, which will facilitate better preparation in case of impending space weather events.
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