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

This marks the initial occasion the spacecraft – which was placed in orbit recently – can observe our star during its maximum activity cycle.

According to scientific data, it comes approximately once every 11 years when the Sun's magnetic poles flip – a similar Earth scenario could be the planet's poles swapping positions.

It's a time marked by intense activity. It sees our star changing from peaceful to violent and features a significant rise in the frequency of solar eruptions and massive solar flares – enormous clouds of plasma that erupt from the solar corona.

Composed of ionized particles, a coronal mass ejection may have a mass up to a trillion kilograms and can attain velocities exceeding 2,000 miles per second. It can travel toward various directions, even toward the Earth. At maximum velocity, it would take an ejection about half a day to traverse the vast distance between Earth and the Sun.

"During typical or quiet periods, the Sun launches two to three CMEs daily," says a leading scientist. "In 2026, it's anticipated there will be 10 or more daily."

Studying CMEs ranks among the most important scientific objectives for the Indian first solar observatory. Firstly, because the ejections provide an opportunity to study the Sun at the centre of our solar system, and two, since events occurring on the Sun endanger infrastructure on our planet and in orbit.

Impacts on Our Planet and Orbital Systems

CMEs rarely pose immediate danger to human life, yet they impact life on Earth through generating geomagnetic storms that impact conditions in near space, where nearly 11,000 satellites, including many from India, orbit.

"The most spectacular manifestations from solar eruptions include northern lights, which are a clear example that charged particles from Sun are travelling to Earth," the expert explains.

"However, they may make all the electronics on a satellite fail, knock down power grids and disrupt meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Historical Solar Incidents

• The strongest solar storm ever recorded was the 1859 solar superstorm which knocked out communication systems worldwide
• In 1989, a part of Canadian electrical network failed, leaving millions in darkness for hours
• In November 2015, solar activity disturbed flight operations, leading to disruption across Scandinavia and various European airports
• Recently in 2022, a CME caused 38 commercial satellites failing

With capability to see what happens in the solar atmosphere and spot solar activity or solar eruption as it happens, measure its heat at origin and track its path, it can work as advanced warning to shut down electrical systems and spacecraft and move them to safety.

Aditya-L1's Special Capability

There are other solar missions observing the Sun, India's spacecraft has an advantage over others regarding studying the solar atmosphere.

"The instrument is the exact size enabling it to effectively simulate the Moon, completely blocking the Sun's photosphere permitting continuous observation of almost all solar atmosphere around the clock, throughout the year, even during solar events," says the expert.

Essentially, this instrument acts like an artificial Moon, blocking the Sun's bright surface allowing scientists constantly study the dim solar atmosphere – a feat the real Moon provide only during eclipses.

Moreover, it's unique capable of examining eruptions using optical wavelengths, letting it determine eruption heat and heat energy – crucial data indicating how strong a CME would be if it headed toward Earth.

Preparation for Peak Period

In preparation for next year's solar maximum, scientists worked together analyzing the data gathered from one of the largest CMEs that Aditya-L1 has observed recently.

It originated in September 2024 at 00:30 GMT. Its mass totaled billions of tons – for comparison that sank Titanic was 1.5 million tonnes.

At origin, its temperature was 1.8 million degrees Celsius with energy equivalent was equivalent to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – relative to the atomic bombs used in Japan were much smaller and 21 kilotons respectively.

Although the numbers make it sound massive, the expert classifies it as a moderate event.

The asteroid that eliminated the dinosaurs on Earth carried enormous energy and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, we could see eruptions carrying power matching greater levels.

"I consider this eruption we analyzed happened during periods was in the normal activity phase. Now this sets the standard for future comparison to evaluate what to expect during solar maximum occurs," he says.

"The insights from this will assist in work out the countermeasures to implement safeguarding spacecraft in orbit. Additionally, they'll aid achieving a better understanding of near-Earth space," he adds.