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

This marks the initial occasion the spacecraft – which was placed in orbit recently – will be able to observe our star when it reaches its maximum activity cycle.

As per research, this occurs approximately every 11 years when the Sun's magnetic poles flip – a similar Earth scenario could be the North and South poles changing places.

This period marked by intense activity. It involves our star changing from peaceful to violent and is marked by a significant rise in the number of solar storms and massive solar flares – massive bubbles 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 can attain a speed exceeding 2,000 miles per second. It can travel in any direction, including towards the Earth. At maximum velocity, it would take a CME about half a day to traverse the 150 million km between Earth and the Sun.

"In the normal or quiet periods, the Sun launches a few solar eruptions daily," says a leading scientist. "In 2026, we expect there will be over ten daily."

Researching coronal mass ejections is one of the most important scientific objectives of India's maiden solar mission. Firstly, as these eruptions provide an opportunity to learn about the Sun at the centre of our planetary system, and secondly, because activities occurring on the solar surface endanger infrastructure on Earth and in orbit.

Effects on Our Planet and Space Infrastructure

CMEs rarely pose immediate danger to human life, yet they impact life on Earth by causing magnetic disturbances affecting conditions in near space, where nearly 11,000 satellites, comprising many from India, orbit.

"The most beautiful displays from solar eruptions are auroras, being direct evidence that charged particles from our star journey to Earth," the scientist clarifies.

"However, they may make all the electronics aboard spacecraft fail, disable power grids and disrupt weather and communication satellites."

Past Solar Events

• The most powerful solar storm ever recorded occurred during the 1859 solar superstorm which knocked out communication systems across the globe
• In 1989, a part of Quebec's power grid failed, affecting six million people without power for nine hours
• In November 2015, solar storms disturbed air traffic control, leading to disruption across Scandinavia and some other European air hubs
• In February 2022, a CME had led to dozens of spacecraft failing

If we are able to see what happens on the Sun's corona and detect a solar storm or solar eruption in real time, measure its heat at origin and track its path, it can work as a forewarning to switch off electrical systems and satellites and move them out of harm's way.

The Mission's Unique Advantage

While other space observatories observing the Sun, India's spacecraft has an advantage over others when it comes to watching the corona.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it effectively simulate lunar coverage, fully covering the Sun's photosphere permitting an uninterrupted view of nearly the entire solar atmosphere around the clock, 365 days a year, including during eclipses and occultations," says the expert.

In other words, this instrument functions as a synthetic eclipse, obscuring the solar glare allowing researchers constantly study its faint outer corona – something natural eclipses provide only during specific moments.

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

Preparation for Maximum Activity

In preparation for next year's peak solar activity period, scientists collaborated to study the data gathered from a major CMEs that Aditya-L1 has recorded until now.

It originated on 13 September 2024 during early hours. Its mass was 270 million tonnes – the iceberg that sank Titanic was 1.5 million tonnes.

Initially, the heat was 1.8 million degrees Celsius with energy equivalent was equivalent to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – in comparison nuclear weapons used in Japan were 15 kilotons in scale each.

Even though the numbers seem incredibly large, the scientist classifies it as a "medium-sized" one.

The space rock that eliminated prehistoric life on Earth was 100 million megatons and when solar peak occurs, there may be CMEs with energy content equal to greater levels.

"I consider this eruption we evaluated happened when the Sun was in the normal activity phase. This establishes the standard for future comparison to evaluate what to expect during solar maximum occurs," he states.

"The insights from this will help us work out the countermeasures to implement safeguarding spacecraft in near space. Additionally, they'll aid achieving deeper knowledge of our space environment," he concludes.