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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 watch the Sun during its maximum activity cycle.

According to research, it comes roughly every 11 years when the Sun's magnetic poles flip – a similar Earth scenario could be the North and South poles swapping positions.

This period marked by intense activity. It involves our star transition from peaceful to violent and is marked by a significant rise in the frequency of solar storms and massive solar flares – enormous clouds of fire that blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Composed of charged particles, a coronal mass ejection can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and reach a speed of up to 3,000km per second. It can travel in any direction, even toward the Earth. At maximum velocity, it would take a CME about half a day to cover the vast distance Earth-Sun distance.

"During typical or quiet periods, our star emits two to three CMEs a day," says a leading scientist. "In 2026, it's anticipated them to be 10 or more each day."

Researching CMEs ranks among the key scientific objectives for the Indian maiden solar mission. Firstly, as these eruptions provide an opportunity to study the Sun in the center of our solar system, and two, because activities occurring on the Sun endanger systems on Earth and in space.

Effects on Our Planet and Space Infrastructure

CMEs seldom present a direct threat to people, but they do affect our planet through generating magnetic disturbances that impact conditions in near space, where nearly thousands of spacecraft, comprising many from India, are stationed.

"The most spectacular displays of a CME include northern lights, which are direct evidence that solar particles from our star journey toward our planet," the scientist clarifies.

"But they can also make all the electronics on a satellite malfunction, disable electrical networks and affect weather and communication satellites."

Past Solar Events

• The strongest solar event in history occurred during the 1859 solar superstorm that disabled communication systems across the globe
• During 1989, sections of Quebec's power grid was knocked out, affecting six million people in darkness for nine hours
• In November 2015, solar activity disrupted air traffic control, causing chaos in Sweden and various European air hubs
• In February 2022, an ejection caused 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 as it happens, measure its heat at the source and watch its path, it can work as a forewarning to switch off electrical systems and spacecraft redirecting them to safety.

The Mission's Unique Advantage

There are other space observatories observing the Sun, India's spacecraft has an advantage over others when it comes to studying the solar atmosphere.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it effectively simulate the Moon, fully covering the solar disk and allowing it an uninterrupted view of almost all of the corona around the clock, 365 days a year, even during eclipses and occultations," notes the researcher.

Essentially, the coronagraph functions as an artificial Moon, obscuring the Sun's bright surface to let scientists continuously observe the dim solar atmosphere – something the real Moon does only during specific moments.

Moreover, this is the only mission capable of examining eruptions using optical wavelengths, letting it measure a CME's temperature and heat energy – crucial data that show the intensity a CME would be when traveling toward Earth.

Preparation for Maximum Activity

To prepare for the upcoming peak solar activity period, scientists collaborated analyzing the data gathered from a major CMEs recorded by the mission has recorded until now.

It originated on 13 September 2024 at 00:30 GMT. The eruption's weight totaled billions of tons – for comparison 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 explosives – relative to nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 15 kilotons and 21 kilotons each.

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

The asteroid that eliminated the dinosaurs on Earth carried enormous energy and when solar peak occurs, there may be CMEs carrying power matching greater levels.

"I consider this eruption we evaluated happened when the Sun of typical solar activity. This establishes the standard that we'll be using to evaluate what is in store when the maximum activity cycle occurs," he says.

"The insights gained will help us work out the countermeasures to implement to protect spacecraft in orbit. They will also help achieving a better understanding of near-Earth space," he concludes.