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For India's first solar observatory, the year 2026 will be truly unique.

This marks the initial occasion the observatory – that entered into space recently – can observe our star during its maximum activity cycle.

According to scientific data, it comes approximately once every 11 years as the Sun's polarity reverses – a similar Earth scenario would be the planet's poles changing places.

It's a time marked by intense activity. It involves our star changing from calm to stormy and is marked by a huge increase in the number of solar storms and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – massive bubbles of plasma that blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Composed of ionized particles, a CME can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and can attain velocities exceeding 2,000 miles per second. It can head out toward various directions, even toward our planet. At top speed, it would take a CME about half a day to cover the 150 million km between Earth and the Sun.

"During typical or quiet periods, our star emits a few solar eruptions a day," explains an astrophysics expert. "Next year, it's anticipated there will be over ten daily."

Researching CMEs ranks among the most important scientific objectives of India's first solar observatory. One, because the ejections provide an opportunity to learn about the star at the centre of our solar system, and two, since events that take place on the Sun endanger infrastructure on Earth and in space.

Impacts on Our Planet and Space Infrastructure

Coronal mass ejections seldom present a direct threat to people, but they do affect our planet by causing magnetic disturbances that impact conditions in Earth's vicinity, where about 11,000 satellites, including many from India, are stationed.

"The most spectacular manifestations of a CME are auroras, which are direct evidence that charged particles from Sun are travelling toward our planet," the scientist explains.

"However, they may make all the electronics on a satellite fail, knock down power grids and disrupt meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Past Solar Incidents

• The strongest solar event ever recorded occurred during the Carrington Event that disabled telegraph lines worldwide
• In 1989, a part of Quebec's power grid was knocked out, leaving six million people without power for hours
• In November 2015, solar storms disrupted air traffic control, leading to disruption across Scandinavia and some other European airports
• Recently in 2022, an ejection caused 38 commercial satellites failing

If we are able to see what happens on the Sun's corona and detect solar activity or solar eruption as it happens, measure its heat at the source and watch its trajectory, this serves as advanced warning to shut down power grids and spacecraft redirecting them to safety.

The Mission's Special Capability

There are other solar missions watching our star, India's spacecraft holds an edge compared to rivals regarding studying the solar atmosphere.

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

Essentially, the coronagraph functions as an artificial Moon, blocking the Sun's bright surface to let scientists continuously observe the dim solar atmosphere – a feat natural eclipses does only during specific moments.

Additionally, it's unique that can study eruptions using optical wavelengths, enabling it to measure a CME's temperature and heat energy – crucial data that show the intensity a CME would be when traveling our direction.

Preparation for Peak Period

To prepare for the upcoming solar maximum, scientists collaborated analyzing the data obtained from a major solar eruption recorded by the mission has observed recently.

It originated on 13 September 2024 at 00:30 GMT. Its mass totaled billions of tons – for comparison that sank Titanic weighed much less.

Initially, the heat reached extreme levels with energy equivalent was equivalent to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – relative to the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 15 kilotons and 21 kilotons each.

Although these figures make it sound massive, the scientist classifies it as a "medium-sized" one.

The space rock that eliminated the dinosaurs on our planet was 100 million megatons and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, we could see CMEs carrying power matching even more than that.

"In my view the CME we evaluated to have occurred when the Sun of typical solar activity. This establishes the standard that we'll be using to evaluate what to expect when the maximum activity cycle arrives," he states.

"The insights from this will help us work out the countermeasures to implement safeguarding spacecraft in orbit. They will also help achieving a better understanding of our space environment," he concludes.