ADITYA-L1 CAPTURES FIRST-EVER IMAGE OF SOLAR FLARE KERNEL

GS3 SCIENCE AND TECH: 

India’s Aditya-L1 mission achieved a historic breakthrough on February 22, 2025, when its Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) captured the first-ever image of a solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere. This discovery enhances our understanding of solar activity and its impact on Earth’s space environment.

Significance of the Discovery

• The flare ‘kernel’ was detected in the lower layers of the Sun’s atmosphere.
• The near-ultraviolet (NUV) wavelength used for observation is rarely utilized, offering new insights into solar activity.
• This discovery helps scientists understand how mass and energy move within the solar atmosphere.

About Aditya-L1 Mission

• India’s first solar observatory mission, launched on September 2, 2023.
• Studies the Sun from 1.5 million km away at Lagrange Point 1 (L1).
• Reached L1 on January 6, 2024.
• ISRO’s second space observatory mission, after AstroSat.

Scientific Payloads

• Features multiple instruments, with SUIT as the primary payload.
• SUIT captures images in the Near Ultraviolet (NUV) wavelength to study solar flares and atmospheric dynamics.

Solar Flare Observations

• On February 22, 2025, Aditya-L1 observed an X6.3-class solar flare, a high-intensity solar eruption.
• Provided data on temperature variations in the solar corona.
• Confirmed the relationship between flare energy and temperature changes, refining existing models.

Implications for Space Weather

• Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communication systems on Earth.
• Aditya-L1’s observations will aid in predicting and mitigating the effects of space weather disturbances.

Advancements in Solar Physics

• Enhances understanding of the Sun’s magnetic fields and plasma dynamics.
• Supports research into fusion energy, as the Sun acts as a natural fusion reactor.