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For Aditya-L1, the year 2026 is expected to be truly unique.

It's the first time the spacecraft – that entered into space last year – will be able to observe the Sun during its maximum activity cycle.

As per scientific data, it comes approximately once every 11 years when the Sun's polarity reverses – a similar Earth scenario could be the North and South poles swapping positions.

It's a time marked by intense activity. It sees the Sun transition from peaceful to violent and features a huge increase in the number of solar eruptions and massive solar flares – enormous clouds of plasma that erupt from the solar corona.

Composed of charged particles, a coronal mass ejection may have a mass of billions of tons and reach velocities of up to 3,000km each second. It can travel toward various directions, even toward the Earth. At maximum velocity, it would take a CME about half a day to cover the 150 million km between Earth and the Sun.

"During typical or quiet periods, the Sun launches a few solar eruptions daily," says an astrophysics expert. "Next year, we expect them to be 10 or more each day."

Researching coronal mass ejections ranks among the most important research goals of India's first solar observatory. One, as these eruptions offer a chance to learn about the star at the centre of our planetary system, and secondly, because activities that take place on the Sun threaten systems on Earth and in space.

Impacts on Earth and Space Infrastructure

Coronal mass ejections rarely pose immediate danger to people, but they do affect our planet by causing magnetic disturbances that impact conditions in Earth's vicinity, where about 11,000 satellites, including Indian satellites, are stationed.

"The most beautiful displays from solar eruptions are auroras, being a clear example that charged particles from our star are travelling to Earth," the expert explains.

"But they can also make all the electronics aboard spacecraft malfunction, disable power grids and affect meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Past Solar Incidents

• The most powerful solar event in history was the 1859 solar superstorm that disabled telegraph lines across the globe
• During 1989, sections of Canadian electrical network failed, affecting millions without power for hours
• During late 2015, solar activity disrupted air traffic control, leading to chaos across Scandinavia and various European air hubs
• Recently in 2022, a CME had led to 38 commercial satellites being lost

If we are able to see events on the Sun's corona and detect a solar storm or a coronal mass ejection in real time, record its temperature at the source and track its trajectory, this serves as advanced warning to shut down electrical systems and spacecraft and move them to safety.

Aditya-L1's Special Capability

While other space observatories watching the Sun, India's spacecraft holds an edge compared to rivals when it comes to studying the solar atmosphere.

"Aditya-L1's coronagraph has perfect dimensions that lets it effectively simulate the Moon, fully covering the solar disk permitting continuous observation of almost all of the corona 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even during solar events," says the researcher.

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

Additionally, it's unique that can study eruptions using optical wavelengths, letting it determine eruption heat and thermal output – key clues that show the intensity a CME would be if it headed our direction.

Readiness for Peak Period

In preparation for next year's peak solar activity period, researchers collaborated analyzing the data obtained from a major solar eruption recorded by the mission has observed recently.

This event began in September 2024 during early hours. Its mass was 270 million tonnes – for comparison that sank Titanic weighed much less.

Initially, its temperature was 1.8 million degrees Celsius and the energy content comparable to millions of tons of TNT – relative to nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 15 kilotons and 21 kilotons respectively.

Although these figures seem massive, the scientist classifies it as a moderate event.

The space rock which wiped out prehistoric life on our planet was 100 million megatons and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, we could see CMEs with energy content equal to greater levels.

"I consider this eruption we evaluated to have occurred when the Sun of typical solar activity. Now this sets the standard for future comparison to evaluate what is in store during solar maximum arrives," he says.

"The insights from this will help us developing protective measures to be adopted to protect satellites in orbit. Additionally, they'll aid achieving deeper knowledge of near-Earth space," he adds.