ISRO’s Solar Probe Captures Vital Sun Images For Research On Solar Radiation Hazard

Updates on Aditya-L1: The Indian space agency said on Friday that the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument on board the solar probe has successfully taken the first full-disk photos of the Sun in the 200–400 nm wavelength range.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched Aditya L1, the country’s first space-based mission to study the Sun, on September 2. Situated in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth system’s Lagrange point 1 (L1), some 15 lakh kilometers away from Earth, the spacecraft enjoys the singular benefit of uninterrupted, round-the-clock Sun observation. This clear picture represents a major advancement in solar science since it enables real-time monitoring of solar activity and its effects on space weather.

Sunspots and other features on the Sun were visible to scientists through the Aditya-L1 telescope. This aids in their understanding of the photosphere and chromosphere, the Sun’s outer layers. Scientists will also benefit from the SUIT observations by having a better understanding of the interactions between the Sun’s magnetic atmosphere and how solar radiation impacts Earth’s climate.

On November 20, the SUIT payload was turned on. On December 6, following a successful pre-commissioning phase, the telescope captured its first light scientific images. Through eleven different filters, these amazing photos reveal the Sun’s first-ever full-disk representations in wavelengths between 200 and 400 nm, excluding Ca II h. Although entire disk images of the Sun in the Ca II h wavelength have been analyzed by observatories before, this is the first time SUIT has accomplished this accomplishment.

By acquiring vital data about the solar atmosphere, especially the lower and middle solar atmosphere, the payload fulfills two purposes. Understanding the processes of ozone and oxygen synthesis and dissociation depends on these data.

It will also assist in monitoring solar explosions, which are a serious risk to services that rely on electronics. By knowing when these explosions occur, potential harm can be avoided by momentarily stopping satellites, which lessens their effects.

Under the direction of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, a cooperative effort was made to build SUIT.