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04th November 2024 (12 Topics)

Aditya-L1 mission’s Scientific Results

Context

The Aditya-L1 mission, India's first scientific endeavor dedicated to studying the Sun, has released its first significant scientific results.

What Has Been Found?

  • Scientists using the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), the primary payload of Aditya-L1, successfully estimated the onset time of a coronal mass ejection (CME) that erupted from the Sun in July.
    • CMEs are powerful explosions that can release vast amounts of plasma into space, potentially disrupting satellites and communication systems on Earth.
  • This precise estimation, based on unique data collected by VELC, marks a significant step in understanding these energetic eruptions and their characteristics.

About Aditya-L1

  • Launched in: 2023
  • Aditya is India's first space-based mission to study the solar system's biggest object. It is named after Surya - the Hindu god of the Sun (Aditya).
  • Aditya-L1 is designed to monitor the Sun continuously, with a particular focus on CMEs, as the Sun approaches the maximum phase of its current solar cycle (Cycle No. 25).
  • Positioned in a halo orbit around the L1 Lagrange point, the spacecraft enables uninterrupted observation of solar activities.
    • Lagrange point 1 (L1) is the exact place between the Sun and Earth where the spacecraft has now reached. L1 is located 1.5 million km (932,000 miles) from the Earth, which is 1% of the Earth-Sun distance.
  • The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload, developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIAp), allows scientists to study CMEs close to the solar surface for the first time.
  • The mission has a planned lifespan of five years, aiming to provide valuable data that could enhance our understanding of solar dynamics and their implications for life on Earth.

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