Aditya-L1 payload captures first-ever image of a solar flare ‘kernel’
New Delhi: New images from India’s first solar mission, Aditya-L1, have provided fresh insights into the explosive activity of the Sun, researchers announced. The mission captured a detailed view of a solar flare ‘kernel,’ a bright feature in the lower layers of the Sun’s atmosphere, offering a deeper understanding of these energetic eruptions.
Solar flares are massive bursts of energy that release light, heat, and high-speed particles into space. These phenomena can significantly impact space weather, sometimes disrupting satellite communications and radio transmissions on Earth.
On February 22, 2024, the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) onboard Aditya-L1 recorded an image of an X6.3-class solar flare—one of the most intense types of solar eruptions. The discovery was made by researchers at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune.
“The solar flare was a powerful reminder of the Sun’s dynamic nature,” said Soumya Roy, a PhD researcher at IUCAA and lead author of the study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
According to Durgesh Tripathi, senior professor at IUCAA and principal investigator of SUIT, the observations captured details never seen before in near-ultraviolet wavelengths. “The bright kernels we detected suggest a previously unknown response of the lower solar atmosphere, offering new insights into flare dynamics,” Roy added.
The IUCAA, along with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other institutions, contributed to the design and development of SUIT.
The Aditya-L1 mission, launched by ISRO on September 2, 2023, successfully reached a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point ‘L1.’ This strategic location allows Aditya-L1 to continuously monitor the Sun without interruptions.
Lagrange points are regions in space where gravitational forces balance, making them ideal for stable satellite operations. At L1, the SUIT instrument can observe solar activity round the clock.
Researchers explained in their paper that while solar flares are commonly observed using X-ray imaging, ultraviolet detections—especially in the near to mid-ultraviolet range—remain rare. The findings highlight SUIT’s capabilities in tracking solar
flares and enhance understanding of energy and mass transfer within the Sun’s atmosphere.
“These results demonstrate SUIT’s potential in flare studies and help us decode the complex physics governing solar emissions in near-ultraviolet wavelengths,” the study authors noted.
Solar activity, including flares, follows an 11-year cycle driven by the Sun’s internal magnetic field.
The Sun is currently in Solar Cycle 25. Agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US continuously monitor such space weather phenomena, as they can disrupt essential services like GPS navigation and communication networks.
