The Reason 2026 Is Set to Be an Unprecedented Year for India's Sun Mission

For Aditya-L1, 2026 is expected to be truly unique.

It's the first time the observatory – that entered in orbit recently – can watch our star when it reaches its maximum activity cycle.

As per scientific data, it comes approximately once every 11 years when the Sun's magnetic poles flip – the Earth equivalent would be the North and South poles swapping positions.

This period of great turbulence. It involves the Sun transition from calm to stormy and features a significant rise in the frequency of solar storms and massive solar flares – enormous clouds of fire that erupt from the solar corona.

Composed of charged particles, a coronal mass ejection can weigh of billions of tons and reach a speed exceeding 2,000 miles per second. It can head out in any direction, even toward our planet. At maximum velocity, the journey takes an ejection about half a day to cover the vast distance between Earth and the Sun.

"During typical or quiet periods, the Sun launches a few solar eruptions daily," says a leading scientist. "Next year, it's anticipated there will be over ten each day."

Researching coronal mass ejections ranks among the most important research goals for the Indian maiden solar mission. Firstly, because the ejections offer a chance to study the Sun in the center of our planetary system, and secondly, since events that take place on the Sun threaten systems on Earth and in orbit.

Effects on Our Planet and Orbital Systems

CMEs seldom present immediate danger to people, but they do affect life on Earth through generating magnetic disturbances affecting the weather in near space, where about thousands of spacecraft, comprising Indian satellites, are stationed.

"The most beautiful displays from solar eruptions are auroras, being a clear example that solar particles from our star journey to Earth," the expert explains.

"But they can also make all the electronics aboard spacecraft fail, disable electrical networks and affect meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Historical Solar Events

• The most powerful solar storm ever recorded occurred during the 1859 solar superstorm which knocked out communication systems across the globe
• During 1989, sections of Canadian electrical network was knocked out, affecting six million people in darkness for hours
• During late 2015, solar activity disturbed flight operations, leading to disruption across Scandinavia and various European airports
• Recently in 2022, a CME caused dozens of spacecraft being lost

If we are able to see what happens in the solar atmosphere and detect a solar storm or a coronal mass ejection as it happens, record its temperature at the source and watch its path, this serves as advanced warning to shut down electrical systems and satellites and move them to safety.

The Mission's Special Capability

While other solar missions observing the Sun, Aditya-L1 holds an edge compared to rivals regarding watching the corona.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it nearly mimic lunar coverage, fully covering the solar disk permitting continuous observation of nearly the entire of the corona around the clock, throughout the year, even during solar events," notes the researcher.

In other words, this instrument functions as an artificial Moon, obscuring the solar glare allowing researchers continuously observe the dim solar atmosphere – something natural eclipses provide only during specific moments.

Additionally, this is the only mission capable of examining eruptions using optical wavelengths, letting it determine a CME's temperature and thermal output – crucial data that show the intensity of an eruption when traveling toward Earth.

Readiness for Maximum Activity

To prepare for next year's solar maximum, researchers collaborated analyzing information gathered from a major CMEs recorded by the mission has observed recently.

This event began on 13 September 2024 during early hours. Its mass was 270 million tonnes – for comparison that sank Titanic weighed much less.

Initially, its temperature reached extreme levels and the energy content comparable to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – in comparison nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 15 kilotons in scale respectively.

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

The asteroid that eliminated prehistoric life on Earth was 100 million megatons and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, there may be CMEs with energy content equal to greater levels.

"In my view this eruption we analyzed happened when the Sun was in the normal activity phase. This establishes the standard for future comparison to evaluate what to expect during solar maximum arrives," he says.

"The learnings from this will assist in work out protective measures to be adopted to protect spacecraft in near space. They will also help achieving deeper knowledge of our space environment," he adds.