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For Aditya-L1, 2026 will be like no other.

This marks the initial occasion the spacecraft – that entered into space last year – can observe our star when it reaches its maximum activity cycle.

According to research, it comes approximately every 11 years as the Sun's magnetic poles flip – a similar Earth scenario would be the planet's poles changing places.

This period marked by intense activity. It sees our star changing from peaceful to violent and is marked by a significant rise in the number of solar eruptions and massive solar flares – enormous clouds of plasma that blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Composed 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 in any direction, including towards our planet. At top speed, it would take a CME 15 hours to cover the vast distance Earth-Sun distance.

"In the normal or quiet periods, our star emits a few solar eruptions a day," explains a leading scientist. "Next year, we expect them to be 10 or more each day."

Studying coronal mass ejections is one of the most important research goals for the Indian maiden solar mission. Firstly, because the ejections provide an opportunity to study the Sun at the centre of our planetary system, and secondly, since events occurring on the solar surface threaten systems on Earth and in space.

Impacts on Our Planet and Space Infrastructure

CMEs seldom present a direct threat to human life, yet they impact life on Earth by causing geomagnetic storms that impact the weather in near space, where about thousands of spacecraft, including many from India, are stationed.

"The most spectacular manifestations from solar eruptions are auroras, being a clear example that solar particles from our star journey toward our planet," the expert clarifies.

"However, they may cause electronic systems aboard spacecraft fail, knock down electrical networks and affect meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Past Solar Incidents

• The most powerful solar event ever recorded was the Carrington Event which knocked out telegraph lines worldwide
• During 1989, sections of Canadian electrical network failed, affecting millions in darkness for nine hours
• During late 2015, solar activity disturbed air traffic control, leading to disruption across Scandinavia and some other European air hubs
• In February 2022, an ejection caused dozens of spacecraft being lost

If we are able to see what happens in the solar atmosphere and spot a solar storm or solar eruption as it happens, record its temperature at origin and watch its path, it can work as advanced warning to shut down power grids and satellites redirecting them out of harm's way.

The Mission's Special Capability

While other solar missions watching our star, Aditya-L1 has an advantage compared to rivals when it comes to studying the solar atmosphere.

"Aditya-L1's coronagraph is the exact size that lets it effectively simulate lunar coverage, completely blocking the solar disk and allowing it an uninterrupted view of almost all solar atmosphere 24 hours a day, throughout the year, including during solar events," says the researcher.

In other words, the coronagraph acts like a synthetic eclipse, blocking the Sun's bright surface to let scientists constantly study its faint outer corona – something natural eclipses provide only during specific moments.

Additionally, it's unique capable of examining solar events using optical wavelengths, enabling it to determine eruption heat and thermal output – key clues that show the intensity of an eruption when traveling our direction.

Preparation for Peak Period

In preparation for the upcoming peak solar activity period, researchers worked together to study the data obtained from a major solar eruption recorded by the mission has observed recently.

It originated on 13 September 2024 during early hours. The eruption's weight was 270 million tonnes – the iceberg that struck the ship weighed much less.

At origin, the heat reached extreme levels and the energy content comparable to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – relative to nuclear weapons used in Japan were 15 kilotons in scale each.

Although the numbers seem massive, the expert describes it as a moderate event.

The space rock that eliminated prehistoric life on our planet was 100 million megatons and when solar peak occurs, there may be eruptions carrying power equal to greater levels.

"I consider this eruption we analyzed to have occurred when the Sun of typical solar activity. Now this sets the standard for future comparison to evaluate what to expect during solar maximum occurs," he states.

"The learnings gained will help us developing the countermeasures to implement to protect spacecraft in near space. They will also help us gain deeper knowledge of our space environment," he adds.