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Regarding Aditya-L1, 2026 is expected to be like no other.

It's the first time the observatory – which was placed in orbit last year – can watch our star during its maximum activity cycle.

As per scientific data, this occurs approximately every 11 years when the Sun's magnetic poles flip – the Earth equivalent could be the planet's poles swapping positions.

This period of great turbulence. It involves our star transition from calm to stormy and is marked by a significant rise in the number of solar eruptions and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – enormous clouds of fire that erupt of the Sun's outermost layer.

Composed of ionized particles, a CME may have a mass up to a trillion kilograms and reach velocities exceeding 2,000 miles per second. It can travel in any direction, including towards the Earth. At maximum velocity, the journey takes a CME 15 hours to traverse the vast distance Earth-Sun distance.

"During typical or quiet periods, our star emits two to three CMEs daily," explains an astrophysics expert. "In 2026, we expect there will be over ten each day."

Studying coronal mass ejections is one of the most important research goals of India's first solar observatory. One, as these eruptions provide an opportunity to learn about the Sun in the center of our solar system, and secondly, because activities that take place on the solar surface endanger infrastructure on Earth and in space.

Effects on Earth and Space Infrastructure

CMEs rarely pose a direct threat to human life, but they do affect life on Earth by causing magnetic disturbances that impact conditions in near space, where nearly 11,000 satellites, comprising Indian satellites, orbit.

"The most spectacular manifestations of a CME are auroras, which are direct evidence that solar particles from Sun are travelling to Earth," the expert clarifies.

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

Historical Solar Incidents

• The strongest solar event in history occurred during the Carrington Event which knocked out communication systems across the globe
• During 1989, sections of Canadian electrical network failed, leaving six million people without power for nine hours
• During late 2015, solar activity disrupted air traffic control, leading to disruption across Scandinavia and various European airports
• Recently in 2022, a CME had led to dozens of spacecraft failing

With capability to observe what happens on the Sun's corona and detect a solar storm or a coronal mass ejection as it happens, record its temperature at origin and track its path, it can work as a forewarning to shut down electrical systems and satellites and move them to safety.

The Mission's Special Capability

While other solar missions observing the Sun, India's spacecraft has an advantage over others regarding watching the corona.

"The instrument has perfect dimensions enabling it to effectively simulate lunar coverage, fully covering the Sun's photosphere and allowing it continuous observation of almost all solar atmosphere around the clock, throughout the year, including during solar events," says the expert.

Essentially, the coronagraph functions as a synthetic eclipse, obscuring the solar glare to let scientists constantly study the dim solar atmosphere – a feat natural eclipses does only during specific moments.

Additionally, it's unique capable of examining eruptions using optical wavelengths, enabling it to measure a CME's temperature and heat energy – crucial data that show the intensity a CME would be if it headed toward Earth.

Preparation for Maximum Activity

In preparation for next year's peak solar activity period, scientists collaborated analyzing information gathered from a major solar eruption that Aditya-L1 has recorded until now.

It originated in September 2024 during early hours. Its mass totaled billions of tons – for comparison that sank Titanic 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 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were much smaller in scale respectively.

Although these figures make it sound massive, the scientist classifies it as a "medium-sized" one.

The asteroid which wiped out the dinosaurs on Earth carried enormous energy and when solar peak occurs, there may be CMEs with energy content equal to even more than that.

"In my view the CME we analyzed to have occurred during periods of typical solar activity. This establishes the benchmark that we'll be using assessing what to expect during solar maximum arrives," he says.

"The learnings gained will help us developing protective measures to be adopted to protect satellites in orbit. Additionally, they'll aid us gain deeper knowledge of near-Earth space," he concludes.