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For Aditya-L1, 2026 will be like no other.

This marks the initial occasion the observatory – that entered in orbit last year – can observe the Sun during the peak of its solar cycle.

According to scientific data, this occurs roughly once every 11 years when the Sun's magnetic poles flip – a similar Earth scenario could be the North and South poles swapping positions.

It's a time of great turbulence. It sees the Sun changing from calm to stormy and is marked by a significant rise in the frequency of solar eruptions and massive solar flares – enormous clouds of fire that blow out from the solar corona.

Composed of ionized particles, a coronal mass ejection can weigh of billions of tons and reach a speed of up to 3,000km per second. It can travel in any direction, including towards the Earth. At top speed, it would take a CME about half a day to traverse the 150 million km between Earth and the Sun.

"During typical or low-activity times, our star emits a few solar eruptions a day," explains a leading scientist. "Next year, it's anticipated there will be 10 or more daily."

Researching coronal mass ejections is one of the most important research goals of India's first solar observatory. Firstly, as these eruptions provide an opportunity to learn about the star in the center of our solar system, and secondly, because activities occurring on the solar surface endanger infrastructure on Earth and in space.

Impacts on Earth and Orbital Systems

CMEs seldom present immediate danger to people, yet they impact life on Earth by causing geomagnetic storms affecting the weather in Earth's vicinity, where about 11,000 satellites, including many from India, orbit.

"The most beautiful displays from solar eruptions are auroras, which are direct evidence that solar particles from our star are travelling to Earth," the expert clarifies.

"But they can also make all the electronics on a satellite malfunction, disable electrical networks and disrupt meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Past Solar Incidents

• The most powerful solar storm in history was the 1859 solar superstorm that disabled telegraph lines across the globe
• In 1989, sections of Canadian electrical network was knocked out, affecting millions without power for hours
• In November 2015, solar activity disrupted air traffic control, causing disruption across Scandinavia and various European air hubs
• Recently in 2022, a CME caused dozens of spacecraft failing

With capability to observe what happens in the solar atmosphere and detect solar activity or solar eruption as it happens, record its temperature at the source and watch its path, this serves as advanced warning to shut down power grids and satellites and move them out of harm's way.

The Mission's Special Capability

There are other solar missions observing our star, Aditya-L1 holds an edge over others when it comes to studying the solar atmosphere.

"Aditya-L1's coronagraph has perfect dimensions that lets it effectively simulate lunar coverage, fully covering the Sun's photosphere and allowing it continuous observation of almost all of the corona 24 hours a day, throughout the year, even during eclipses and occultations," says the researcher.

In other words, the coronagraph functions as a synthetic eclipse, blocking the Sun's bright surface to let scientists constantly study its faint outer corona – something the real Moon provide only during eclipses.

Additionally, this is the only mission that can study eruptions in visible light, letting it determine eruption heat and heat energy – crucial data that show the intensity a CME would be when traveling our direction.

Preparation for Peak Period

To prepare for next year's solar maximum, researchers worked together to study the data gathered from one of the largest solar eruption that Aditya-L1 has observed recently.

It originated in September 2024 during early hours. Its mass was 270 million tonnes – for comparison that struck the ship was 1.5 million tonnes.

Initially, the heat was 1.8 million degrees Celsius 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.

Even though the numbers seem incredibly large, the expert classifies it as a "medium-sized" one.

The asteroid that eliminated prehistoric life on Earth carried enormous energy and during solar peak occurs, we could see eruptions carrying power equal to greater levels.

"In my view the CME we analyzed happened during periods was in the normal activity phase. Now this sets the standard that we'll be using to evaluate what is in store when the maximum activity cycle arrives," he states.

"The insights gained will help us developing the countermeasures to implement safeguarding satellites in near space. They will also help us gain a better understanding of our space environment," he adds.