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ISRO’s Aditya-L1 Captures Unprecedented Solar Flare ‘Kernel’
India’s space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1, has achieved a major milestone by capturing the first-ever near-ultraviolet (NUV) images of a solar flare ‘kernel.’ This breakthrough, recorded by the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) onboard the spacecraft, offers new insights into the energy dynamics of the Sun’s lower atmosphere.
Aditya-L1’s Role in Solar Research
Launched in September 2023, Aditya-L1 is India’s first space mission dedicated to solar observations. Positioned at the first Earth-Sun Lagrange Point (L1), about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, it has an uninterrupted view of the Sun. The mission is designed to study solar activity, including flares, coronal mass ejections, and their impact on space weather.
SUIT, one of Aditya-L1’s key instruments, was developed to image the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere in the NUV spectrum. By capturing high-resolution images across multiple wavelengths, it enables scientists to study the Sun’s lower atmospheric layers with unprecedented clarity.
Capturing the Solar Flare ‘Kernel’
On February 22, 2024, SUIT recorded an intense X6.3-class solar flare, one of the strongest types of solar eruptions. The telescope successfully detected brightening in the NUV spectrum, capturing the elusive ‘kernel’—the small, intensely heated region at the flare’s initiation point. This marks the first time such an event has been observed in full-disk NUV imaging, offering a detailed view of energy transfer processes in the Sun’s atmosphere.
Significance of the Observation
Observing solar flare kernels in NUV wavelengths provides critical data on how energy moves from the Sun’s lower atmosphere to its outer corona, which reaches temperatures of millions of degrees. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for studying space weather, which can disrupt satellite communications, navigation systems, and power grids on Earth.
Collaborative Scientific Efforts
This groundbreaking research was conducted through collaborations among leading scientific institutions, further solidifying India’s role in global solar physics research. With ongoing observations from Aditya-L1, scientists anticipate further discoveries that will deepen our understanding of solar activity and its effects on Earth.
The successful capture of the solar flare kernel in NUV marks a significant step forward in solar physics, paving the way for more precise monitoring of solar storms and their potential impact on space and terrestrial systems.
