Image of a solar flare kernel captured by Aditya L1

Context

Aditya-L1 has made a huge discovery by taking pictures of the first-ever image of a solar flare kernel within the lower solar ecosystem (photosphere and chromosphere).

About Aditya-L1

• It was launched in September 2023, by ISRO’s PSLV C-57 rocket.
• It was placed in a halo orbit across the Earth-Sun Lagrange Point (L1) in January 2024.
• It is India’s first committed space-based solar mission.
• It remains about 1.5 million km far away from Earth, directed in the direction of the Sun, which is 1% of the Earth-Sun distance.
• It might observe the outer environment of the Sun.
• It will neither land on the Sun nor technique the Sun any nearer.

Scientific payloads

• The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT): It captures high-resolution photographs in 11 distinct NUV bands, permitting the study of multiple sun layers. 
  • Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS), and High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) reveal solar X-ray emissions to locate flare activity.

Importance 

• A significant revelation is the correlation among localized brightening in the lower environment and an increase in plasma temperature within the solar corona, validating long-status theories about solar flare physics.

Solar Corona: The Sun’s Outermost Layer

• • The solar corona is the Sun’s outermost layer of environment, fabricated from ionized gas. It’s seen for the duration of a total solar eclipse or with a special telescope called a coronagraph. 

• Characteristics of the Solar Corona

• • • Extremely Hot: Temperatures range from 1 to 10 million Kelvin, warmer than the Sun’s surface.
    • Plasma Composition: Made of enormously ionized fuel.
    • Dynamic Structure: Constantly changing because of the Sun’s magnetic fields.
    • Emits High-Energy Radiation: Produces considerable ultraviolet and X-ray radiation.

• Importance of the Solar Corona

• • Helps in understanding solar processes and predicting heliospheric events.
  • Responsible for the solar wind, formed by the outward expansion of corona plasma.

Solar Flare

• A solar flare is an unexpected and severe burst of solar power from the Solar environment.
• This phenomenon is the result of the Sun’s magnetic field.
• The magnetic subject of the Sun is very dynamic in nature. Sometimes they  snap and release severe bursts of power – like an effective, short flash.
• These flares emit radiation throughout the electromagnetic spectrum, together with X-rays and ultraviolet light, and may affect space weather, disrupting satellite communications, GPS, and energy grids on Earth.
• Solar flares frequently originate from sunspots and are categorised into categories (A, B, C, M, and X) based on their depth.

Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)

• • SUIT is one of the seven payloads on Aditya-L1, designed to capture full-disk images of the Sun in the 2000–4000 Å wavelength pattern, which has in no way been acquired before.

• Key Features & Importance

• • Records pictures in a wavelength important for keeping Ozone and Oxygen in Earth’s environment.
  • Measures UV radiation, which may be hazardous for skin cancer.
  • Addresses fundamental questions about the higher-temperature sun environment and the foundation of near-ultraviolet radiation.
  • Aids in reading high-energy solar flares and solar radiation from Hard X-ray to Infrared.
  • Supports in-situ measurements of solar wind particles and the Sun’s magnetic field at L1 point.

Source: The PIB

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q. Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How has the application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic development? (2016)

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