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Regarding India's first solar observatory, the year 2026 will be like no other.

It's the first time the spacecraft – which was placed into space recently – will be able to observe the Sun when it reaches its maximum activity cycle.

According to research, this occurs roughly once every 11 years as the Sun's polarity reverses – a similar Earth scenario would be the planet's poles swapping positions.

It's a time marked by intense activity. It involves our star changing from peaceful to violent and is marked by a significant rise in the frequency of solar storms and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – 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 of up to 3,000km per second. It can travel toward various directions, even toward our planet. At top speed, it would take an ejection about half a day to cover the vast distance Earth-Sun distance.

"In the normal or low-activity times, the Sun emits two to three CMEs a day," explains a leading scientist. "In 2026, it's anticipated there will be over ten each day."

Researching coronal mass ejections is one of the most important scientific objectives of India's maiden solar mission. One, because the ejections offer a chance to learn about the Sun in the center of our solar system, and secondly, since events occurring on the Sun endanger infrastructure on Earth and in space.

Impacts on Earth and Orbital Systems

Coronal mass ejections 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 about thousands of spacecraft, comprising Indian satellites, orbit.

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

"But they can also cause electronic systems aboard spacecraft fail, knock down electrical networks and affect weather and communication satellites."

Historical Solar Events

• The strongest solar event in history occurred during the Carrington Event which knocked out communication systems worldwide
• During 1989, sections of Quebec's power grid failed, leaving six million people without power for hours
• In November 2015, solar storms disrupted flight operations, leading to disruption in Sweden and various European airports
• Recently in 2022, a CME had led to dozens of spacecraft failing

If we are able to see events in the solar atmosphere and spot a solar storm or a coronal mass ejection as it happens, measure its heat at origin and watch its path, it can work as a forewarning to switch off power grids and spacecraft redirecting them out of harm's way.

The Mission's Special Capability

There are other solar missions watching the Sun, Aditya-L1 holds an edge compared to rivals when it comes to watching the corona.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it effectively simulate the Moon, fully covering the Sun's photosphere and allowing it continuous observation of almost all of the corona 24 hours a day, throughout the year, even during solar events," says the researcher.

Essentially, the coronagraph acts like an artificial Moon, obscuring the solar glare allowing scientists continuously observe the dim solar atmosphere – a feat the real Moon does only during eclipses.

Additionally, it's unique that can study eruptions using optical wavelengths, enabling it to measure a CME's temperature and thermal output – crucial data that show how strong a CME would be if it headed our direction.

Preparation for Peak Period

In preparation for the upcoming solar maximum, researchers worked together to study information obtained from one of the largest solar eruption recorded by the mission has observed recently.

This event began in September 2024 during early hours. Its mass was 270 million tonnes – for comparison that sank Titanic was 1.5 million tonnes.

Initially, the heat was 1.8 million degrees Celsius and the energy content was equivalent to 2.2 million megatons of TNT – in comparison nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 15 kilotons and 21 kilotons each.

Although the numbers seem incredibly large, the expert classifies it as a moderate event.

The asteroid which wiped out prehistoric life on Earth carried enormous energy and during solar peak occurs, we could see CMEs with energy content equal to greater levels.

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

"The insights from this will assist in work out protective measures to implement to protect satellites in orbit. They will also help achieving deeper knowledge of our space environment," he concludes.