New Delhi, Feb 28: Images from ISRO’s Aditya-L1, India’s first solar mission, have revealed a solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower layers of the Sun’s atmosphere, providing new insights into its dynamic and explosive processes, according to researchers from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune.
Solar flares, seen as bright areas on the Sun, are massive eruptions that release energy, light, and high-speed particles into space. These events impact space weather and can disrupt radio communications and satellite operations.
On February 22, 2024, the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument onboard Aditya-L1 captured an image of an X6.3-class solar flare, one of the most powerful types of solar eruptions.
Breakthrough in Solar Flare Observation
Lead scientist Durgesh Tripathi, senior professor at IUCAA and principal investigator of SUIT, highlighted that the observations provided an unprecedented view in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectrum for the first time.
“The solar flare was a powerful reminder of the Sun’s dynamic nature,” said Soumya Roy, a PhD student at IUCAA and lead author of the analysis published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. “The bright kernels we detected suggest a previously unseen response of the lower solar atmosphere, offering new insights into flare dynamics.”
IUCAA collaborated with ISRO and other scientific institutes in designing SUIT, which continuously observes the Sun from its vantage point.
Continuous Solar Monitoring from L1
Launched on September 2, 2023, Aditya-L1 was successfully placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point (L1)—a strategic location where gravitational forces from the Sun and Earth balance out. This allows uninterrupted 24x7 solar observation.Traditionally, solar flares are observed using X-ray imaging. However, ultraviolet detections, particularly in the near-UV range, have been rare, researchers noted.
“The results obtained in this study showcase SUIT’s capabilities in flare observations and will enhance our understanding of near-ultraviolet emissions,” the research team stated.
The study also underscores how complex physical processes transfer mass and energy across different layers of the solar atmosphere, contributing to the evolution of solar storms.
Implications for Space Weather and Satellite Safety
Solar storms, which include solar flares, occur as part of the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle—currently in Solar Cycle 25. These events are closely monitored by space agencies like NOAA (US) to assess potential risks, such as communication blackouts and satellite disruptions.The findings from Aditya-L1 are expected to advance global space weather forecasting and improve preparedness against solar-induced technological disruptions.