Context: The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) onboard Aditya-L1 (India’s first dedicated space-based solar mission) has captured the first-ever image of a solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere — the photosphere and chromosphere.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key Facts about Aditya-L1 Mission; Payloads on Aditya-L1 (like Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope); Solar Flares.
Major Highlights:
- The SUIT payload onboard Aditya-L1 observed an X6.3-class solar flare, which is one of the most intense categories of solar eruptions.
- SUIT detected brightening in the Near Ultra Violet (NUV) wavelength range (200-400 nm) — a wavelength range never observed before in such greater detail.
- Revelation:
- Localised brightening captured in the lower solar atmosphere corresponds directly with an increase in the temperature of plasma in the solar corona at the top of the solar atmosphere.
- These observations confirm that the energy released from the flare spreads through different layers of the Sun’s atmosphere.
- Significance:
- Enhance understanding of Sun’s explosive activity and its impact on Earth.
- New insights into the complex physics responsible for massive solar explosions.
Aditya-L1 Mission
- Aditya-L1 is India's first solar mission dedicated to study the Sun.
- Launched by: Indian Space Research Organisation in 2023.
- Location: Lagrange point 1 (located at a distance of about 1.5 million km from the Earth).
- Mission:
- To study the solar atmosphere, particularly the chromosphere and corona.
- To observe solar magnetic storms and their impact on Earth's environment.
- Payloads: It has seven payloads including Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT).
- SUIT is designed to image the Sun in the 200-400 nanometre (nm) of the ultraviolet band.
- SUIT’s imager will continuously record the entire disk of the Sun through 11 filters. The images of these layers could help improve our understanding of the Sun’s immediate atmosphere.
Read More: Aditya L1 Mission
What are Solar Flares?
- A solar flare is a sudden and intense burst of solar energy from the Solar atmosphere.
- The phenomenon is caused by the release of magnetic energy stored in the Solar atmosphere.
- The Sun's magnetic field is very dynamic in nature. Sometimes it suddenly snaps and releases intense bursts of energy in a powerful, short flash.
- The energy is released in the form of light/radiation and high energy charged particles.
- Solar flares tend to originate from regions of the solar surface that contain sunspots.
- Sunspots are darker and cooler portions of the solar surface, where magnetic fields are particularly strong.
- The number of sunspots can indicate the likelihood of a solar flare eruption.
Impacts of Solar Flares on Earth
- Strong flares can trigger coronal mass ejections (a large release of plasma and magnetic field from the sun).
- This can disrupt Earth's magnetosphere and result in geomagnetic storms.
- Such geomagnetic storms can lead to auroras closer to the equator than is possible during calm conditions.
- Emission of fast-moving charged particles (carrying a lot of energy) can endanger astronauts and Earth-orbiting spacecraft.
- Impacts satellites and thus disrupts GPS navigation, Satellite Television, Air Traffic Communication systems.
- Minor to extensive radio blackouts (mainly impacts high frequency radio communications) on the side of Earth facing the sun.
- Damage Power grids and cause electrical blackout.
