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Regarding Aditya-L1, the year 2026 is expected to be like no other.

This marks the initial occasion the spacecraft – which was placed in orbit recently – can watch our star when it reaches its maximum activity cycle.

As per research, this occurs roughly once every 11 years as the Sun's polarity reverses – the Earth equivalent could be the planet's poles changing places.

This period of great turbulence. It sees the Sun changing from peaceful to violent and features a huge increase in the number of solar eruptions and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – enormous clouds of plasma that erupt of the Sun's outermost layer.

Made up of ionized particles, a coronal mass ejection can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and can attain a speed of up to 3,000km each second. It can travel toward various directions, including towards our planet. At top speed, it would take a CME about half a day to traverse the 150 million km Earth-Sun distance.

"During typical or low-activity times, the Sun emits a few solar eruptions daily," explains a leading scientist. "In 2026, we expect them to be over ten daily."

Studying coronal mass ejections is one of the most important research goals of India's first solar observatory. Firstly, because the ejections offer a chance to study the Sun at the centre of our solar system, and secondly, because activities that take place on the Sun threaten systems on Earth and in space.

Effects on Our Planet and Space Infrastructure

Coronal mass ejections seldom present immediate danger to human life, yet they impact life on Earth by causing geomagnetic storms that impact conditions in Earth's vicinity, where nearly 11,000 satellites, including many from India, are stationed.

"The most spectacular displays from solar eruptions include northern lights, being a clear example that charged particles from Sun journey toward our planet," the scientist clarifies.

"But they can also make all the electronics aboard spacecraft malfunction, disable electrical networks and disrupt weather and communication satellites."

Past Solar Events

• The most powerful solar storm ever recorded was the 1859 solar superstorm that disabled telegraph lines worldwide
• In 1989, a part of Canadian electrical network was knocked out, affecting millions without power for hours
• In November 2015, solar storms disrupted air traffic control, leading to disruption in Sweden and some other European airports
• Recently in 2022, an ejection had led to 38 commercial satellites being lost

If we are able to observe what happens in the solar atmosphere and spot a solar storm or solar eruption as it happens, measure its heat at origin and track its trajectory, this serves as a forewarning to shut down electrical systems and spacecraft redirecting them out of harm's way.

Aditya-L1's Special Capability

While other space observatories watching the Sun, India's spacecraft has an advantage over others regarding watching the corona.

"Aditya-L1's coronagraph is the exact size enabling it to nearly mimic the Moon, completely blocking the Sun's photosphere and allowing it an uninterrupted view of nearly the entire solar atmosphere 24 hours a day, throughout the year, including during solar events," says the researcher.

Essentially, this instrument functions as an artificial Moon, blocking the Sun's bright surface allowing scientists constantly study its faint outer corona – something the real Moon provide only during eclipses.

Additionally, this is the only mission capable of examining solar events using optical wavelengths, enabling it to measure eruption heat and thermal output – key clues indicating the intensity of an eruption when traveling our direction.

Preparation for Maximum Activity

In preparation for next year's solar maximum, scientists worked together analyzing information gathered from a major solar eruption recorded by the mission has observed recently.

It originated in September 2024 during early hours. Its mass was 270 million tonnes – for comparison that sank Titanic was 1.5 million tonnes.

At origin, its temperature reached extreme levels and the energy content comparable to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – in comparison nuclear weapons used in Japan were much smaller and 21 kilotons respectively.

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

The asteroid that eliminated the dinosaurs on Earth carried enormous energy and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, there may be eruptions with energy content equal to greater levels.

"In my view this eruption we analyzed happened during periods was in the normal activity phase. This establishes the standard that we'll be using to evaluate what is in store when the maximum activity cycle arrives," he states.

"The insights from this will assist in work out protective measures to implement to protect satellites in orbit. Additionally, they'll aid us gain a better understanding of near-Earth space," he adds.