Aditya-L1 Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Unlocking New Insights into the Sun’s Atmosphere

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Aditya-L1 Latest News
• Solar Corona: The Sun’s Outermost Layer
• Solar Flare
• Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
• Study the Solar Fares by Aditya-L1
• Aditya-L1 FAQs

Aditya-L1 Latest News

• Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based solar mission, has achieved a breakthrough as its Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) captured the first-ever image of a solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere, specifically in the photosphere and chromosphere.
  • The photosphere is the visible surface of the sun, while the chromosphere is a layer above the photosphere. 

Solar Corona: The Sun’s Outermost Layer

• The solar corona is the Sun's outermost layer of atmosphere, made of ionized gas. It's visible during a total solar eclipse or with a special telescope called a coronagraph. 

Characteristics of the Solar Corona

• Extremely Hot: Temperatures range from 1 to 10 million Kelvin, much hotter than the Sun’s surface.
• Plasma Composition: Made of highly ionized gas.
• Dynamic Structure: Constantly changing due to the Sun’s magnetic fields.
• Emits High-Energy Radiation: Produces significant ultraviolet and X-ray radiation.

Importance of the Solar Corona

• Helps in understanding solar processes and predicting heliospheric events.
• Responsible for the solar wind, formed by the outward expansion of corona plasma.

Solar Flare

• A solar flare is a sudden and intense burst of solar energy from the Solar atmosphere. 
• This phenomenon is caused by Sun’s magnetic field. 
  • The magnetic field of the Sun is very dynamic in nature. Sometime they suddenly snap and release intense burst of energy – like a powerful, short flash. 
• These flares emit radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including X-rays and ultraviolet light, and can impact space weather, disrupting satellite communications, GPS, and power grids on Earth. 
• Solar flares often originate from sunspots and are classified into categories (A, B, C, M, and X) based on their intensity.

Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)

• SUIT is one of the seven payloads on Aditya-L1, designed to capture full-disk images of the Sun in the 2000–4000 Å wavelength range, which has never been obtained before.

Key Features & Importance

• Records images in a wavelength crucial for maintaining Ozone and Oxygen in Earth's atmosphere.
• Measures UV radiation, which can be hazardous for skin cancer.
• Addresses fundamental questions about the higher-temperature solar atmosphere and the origin of near-ultraviolet radiation.
• Aids in studying high-energy solar flares and solar radiation from Hard X-ray to Infrared.
• Supports in-situ measurements of solar wind particles and the Sun’s magnetic field at L1 point.

Study the Solar Fares by Aditya-L1

• Recently, the SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) payload on Aditya-L1 observed an X6.3-class solar flare, one of the most intense solar eruptions.

Unique NUV Brightening Observation

• SUIT captured brightening in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) wavelength range (200-400 nm), a region never observed in such detail before. 
• This confirms that the flare’s energy spreads through different layers of the Sun’s atmosphere.

Confirmation of Energy-Temperature Linkage

• The localized brightening in the lower solar atmosphere was found to correspond with an increase in plasma temperature in the solar corona, validating long-standing theories. 
• This observation provides new insights into the physics of solar flares, helping to refine our understanding of these massive solar explosions.

Aditya-L1 FAQs

Q1. What is Aditya-L1?

Ans. Aditya-L1 is India’s first space-based solar mission designed to study the Sun’s atmosphere, including solar flares and the corona.

Q2. What did Aditya-L1’s SUIT observe recently?

Ans. The SUIT payload on Aditya-L1 captured the first-ever image of a solar flare kernel in the Sun’s lower atmosphere.

Q3. Why is the solar corona important?

Ans. The corona helps in understanding solar processes, influences space weather, and generates the solar wind affecting Earth’s magnetosphere.

Q4. How do solar flares impact Earth?

Ans. Solar flares emit radiation that can disrupt satellites, GPS, power grids, and communication systems on Earth.

Q5. What makes SUIT’s observation unique?

Ans. SUIT captured near-ultraviolet brightening (200-400 nm), confirming energy spread through different solar layers, refining solar flare physics.

Source: TH | PIB | ISRO