🔗 Share this article

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

This marks the initial occasion the spacecraft – which was placed into space recently – will be able to observe our star when it reaches the peak of its solar cycle.

According to scientific data, this occurs approximately every 11 years when the Sun's polarity reverses – the Earth equivalent would be the North and South poles swapping positions.

This period marked by intense activity. It sees our star changing from calm to stormy and features a significant rise in the number of solar eruptions and massive solar flares – massive bubbles of fire that blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Made up of charged particles, a CME can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and reach a speed exceeding 2,000 miles each second. It can head out in any direction, including towards the Earth. At maximum velocity, the journey takes an ejection 15 hours to cover the vast distance between Earth and the Sun.

"In the normal or quiet periods, our star emits two to three CMEs daily," says an astrophysics expert. "In 2026, we expect there will be 10 or more daily."

Researching CMEs is one of the key scientific objectives of India's maiden solar mission. Firstly, because the ejections provide an opportunity to study the star at the centre of our planetary system, and secondly, because activities that take place on the Sun threaten infrastructure on our planet and in space.

Effects on Earth and Space Infrastructure

CMEs seldom present a direct threat to people, but they do affect our planet through generating geomagnetic storms affecting conditions in near space, where about thousands of spacecraft, comprising many from India, orbit.

"The most spectacular displays from solar eruptions include northern lights, being a clear example that charged particles from our star journey toward our planet," the expert explains.

"But they can also make all the electronics aboard spacecraft malfunction, knock down electrical networks and affect weather and communication satellites."

Historical Solar Incidents

• The strongest solar storm ever recorded occurred during the 1859 solar superstorm which knocked out telegraph lines worldwide
• In 1989, sections of Quebec's power grid failed, leaving millions without power for nine hours
• In November 2015, solar storms disturbed flight operations, causing disruption across Scandinavia and various European airports
• In February 2022, an ejection had led to 38 commercial satellites being lost

If we are able to observe what happens in the solar atmosphere and detect solar activity or solar eruption as it happens, measure its heat at the source and watch its path, it can work as a forewarning to switch off power grids and satellites and move them to safety.

Aditya-L1's Special Capability

While other solar missions observing our star, India's spacecraft holds an edge compared to rivals regarding studying the solar atmosphere.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it effectively simulate the Moon, fully covering the solar disk permitting an uninterrupted view of nearly the entire solar atmosphere around the clock, throughout the year, including during solar events," says the expert.

In other words, this instrument acts like an artificial Moon, blocking the Sun's bright surface allowing scientists continuously observe its faint outer corona – a feat the real Moon provide only during specific moments.

Moreover, it's unique that can study solar events in visible light, letting it determine a CME's temperature and thermal output – crucial data indicating how strong a CME would be if it headed our direction.

Readiness for Peak Period

To prepare for next year's peak solar activity period, researchers worked together analyzing the data gathered from one of the largest solar eruption that Aditya-L1 has observed recently.

It originated on 13 September 2024 during early hours. Its mass totaled billions of tons – the iceberg that sank Titanic weighed much less.

Initially, its temperature was 1.8 million degrees Celsius with energy equivalent was equivalent to millions of tons of TNT – relative to nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were much smaller in scale each.

Even though these figures seem incredibly large, the scientist classifies it as a moderate event.

The asteroid which wiped out prehistoric life on our planet carried enormous energy and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, there may be CMEs with energy content equal to even more than that.

"In my view the CME we evaluated happened during periods was in the normal activity phase. This establishes the standard for future comparison assessing what to expect when the maximum activity cycle arrives," he says.

"The insights from this will assist in developing protective measures to be adopted safeguarding spacecraft in near space. They will also help us gain deeper knowledge of our space environment," he adds.