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For Aditya-L1, 2026 will be like no other.

This marks the initial occasion the observatory – that entered into space recently – will be able to observe the Sun during its maximum activity cycle.

As per scientific data, it comes approximately every 11 years as the Sun's magnetic poles flip – the Earth equivalent would be the North and South poles swapping positions.

It's a time of great turbulence. It sees the Sun transition from peaceful to violent and is marked by a huge increase in the number of solar eruptions and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – enormous clouds of plasma that erupt of the Sun's outermost layer.

Made up of charged particles, a coronal mass ejection can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and reach velocities of up to 3,000km each second. It can travel toward various directions, even toward our planet. At top speed, it would take an ejection 15 hours to cover the 150 million km Earth-Sun distance.

"In the normal or low-activity times, the Sun emits two to three CMEs daily," says a leading scientist. "In 2026, it's anticipated there will be over ten each day."

Studying CMEs ranks among the key research goals for the Indian maiden solar mission. Firstly, as these eruptions offer a chance to study the star in the center of our planetary system, and secondly, since events occurring on the solar surface threaten systems on our planet and in space.

Impacts on Our Planet and Space Infrastructure

CMEs rarely pose immediate danger to people, yet they impact our planet through generating geomagnetic storms that impact the weather in Earth's vicinity, where nearly thousands of spacecraft, comprising many from India, are stationed.

"The most spectacular displays of a CME include northern lights, being direct evidence that charged particles from Sun journey toward our planet," the expert clarifies.

"But they can also cause electronic systems aboard spacecraft malfunction, disable electrical networks and disrupt meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Historical Solar Incidents

• The most powerful solar event ever recorded occurred during the Carrington Event which knocked out telegraph lines worldwide
• In 1989, a part of Quebec's power grid failed, leaving millions in darkness for hours
• During late 2015, solar storms disrupted flight operations, leading to disruption in Sweden and some other European airports
• In February 2022, a CME had led to 38 commercial satellites being lost

If we are able to observe events on the Sun's corona and detect a solar storm or solar eruption in real time, measure its heat at the source and track its trajectory, this serves as a forewarning to switch off electrical systems and spacecraft redirecting them out of harm's way.

Aditya-L1's Special Capability

While other space observatories observing our star, India's spacecraft holds an edge compared to rivals when it comes to watching the corona.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it nearly mimic the Moon, fully covering the Sun's photosphere and allowing it an uninterrupted view of nearly the entire solar atmosphere around the clock, throughout the year, including during solar events," notes the researcher.

Essentially, this instrument acts like an artificial Moon, blocking the Sun's bright surface allowing scientists constantly study the dim solar atmosphere – a feat natural eclipses provide only during specific moments.

Additionally, it's unique that can study solar events using optical wavelengths, letting it determine a CME's temperature and heat energy – crucial data indicating how strong of an eruption if it headed our direction.

Preparation for Maximum Activity

In preparation for the upcoming peak solar activity period, researchers collaborated analyzing information obtained from one of the largest solar eruption that Aditya-L1 has recorded until now.

It originated on 13 September 2024 during early hours. Its mass totaled billions of tons – the iceberg that struck the ship was 1.5 million tonnes.

At origin, the heat reached extreme levels and the energy content was equivalent to millions of tons of explosives – relative to the atomic bombs used in Japan were much smaller in scale respectively.

Although the numbers make it sound incredibly large, the expert describes it as a moderate event.

The space rock that eliminated prehistoric life on our planet was 100 million megatons and during solar peak occurs, there may be CMEs with energy content matching greater levels.

"I consider this eruption we evaluated to have occurred during periods was in the normal activity phase. This establishes the benchmark that we'll be using assessing what is in store when the maximum activity cycle occurs," he says.

"The learnings gained will assist in work out protective measures to implement to protect spacecraft in orbit. They will also help achieving a better understanding of near-Earth space," he concludes.