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Regarding India's first solar observatory, the year 2026 is expected to be like no other.

This marks the initial occasion the observatory – that entered into space recently – will be able to observe the Sun when it reaches the peak of its solar cycle.

As per scientific data, it comes roughly every 11 years when the Sun's polarity reverses – the Earth equivalent could be the planet's poles swapping positions.

It's a time marked by intense activity. It sees the Sun transition from peaceful to violent and is marked by a huge increase in the number of solar storms and massive solar flares – massive bubbles of fire that blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Composed of ionized particles, a coronal mass ejection may have a mass of billions of tons and can attain a speed of up to 3,000km per second. It can travel in any direction, even toward the Earth. At top speed, it would take a CME about half a day to traverse the vast distance between Earth and the Sun.

"In the normal or quiet periods, our star emits a few solar eruptions daily," explains a leading scientist. "Next year, it's anticipated there will be over ten daily."

Researching CMEs ranks among the most important scientific objectives of India's maiden solar mission. One, as these eruptions offer a chance to study the star at the centre of our planetary system, and two, since events occurring on the Sun threaten infrastructure on our planet and in space.

Impacts on Our Planet and Space Infrastructure

Coronal mass ejections seldom present a direct threat to human life, yet they impact our planet through generating magnetic disturbances affecting conditions in near space, where about thousands of spacecraft, comprising many from India, orbit.

"The most beautiful manifestations of a CME are auroras, being a clear example that solar particles from our star journey toward our planet," the expert explains.

"However, they may cause electronic systems on a satellite malfunction, knock down electrical networks and disrupt weather and communication satellites."

Historical Solar Incidents

• The strongest solar storm ever recorded was the Carrington Event which knocked out telegraph lines across the globe
• In 1989, a part of Quebec's power grid failed, leaving six million people in darkness for hours
• In November 2015, solar activity disturbed flight operations, leading to chaos in Sweden and some other European air hubs
• Recently in 2022, a CME had led to dozens of spacecraft failing

If we are able to observe events in the solar atmosphere and detect a solar storm or solar eruption in real time, record its temperature at origin and track its trajectory, it can work as advanced warning to switch off electrical systems and satellites redirecting them out of harm's way.

The Mission's Special Capability

There are other solar missions observing our star, India's spacecraft holds an edge over others when it comes to studying the solar atmosphere.

"The instrument is the exact size enabling it to effectively simulate the Moon, fully covering the solar disk and allowing it continuous observation of nearly the entire solar atmosphere 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even during solar events," says the researcher.

Essentially, this instrument acts like an artificial Moon, obscuring the Sun's bright surface allowing scientists constantly study the dim solar atmosphere – a feat the real Moon provide only during eclipses.

Moreover, this is the only mission capable of examining eruptions in visible light, enabling it to determine a CME's temperature and thermal output – key clues that show how strong a CME would be if it headed toward Earth.

Preparation for Peak Period

In preparation for next year's peak solar activity period, researchers collaborated analyzing information gathered from a major CMEs recorded by the mission has recorded until now.

It originated on 13 September 2024 during early hours. Its mass totaled billions of tons – for comparison that sank Titanic weighed much less.

At origin, the heat reached extreme levels and the energy content comparable to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – in comparison nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 15 kilotons and 21 kilotons respectively.

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

The asteroid that eliminated prehistoric life on our planet carried enormous energy and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, there may be eruptions carrying power matching even more than that.

"In my view this eruption we analyzed happened during periods was in the normal activity phase. This establishes the benchmark for future comparison assessing what to expect when the maximum activity cycle arrives," he states.

"The insights from this will assist in work out the countermeasures to be adopted safeguarding spacecraft in orbit. They will also help achieving a better understanding of near-Earth space," he adds.