ISRO ready for Aditya-L1 launch: What are solar storms that the mission will study?

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch its first space-based solar mission. The Aditya-L1 spacecraft is scheduled for lift-off aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at 11.50 AM on Saturday (2 September) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.Equipped with seven payloads, the Aditya-L1 will study the Sun’s photosphere, chromosphere and corona. The spacecraft will take four months to reach the first Lagrange point (L-1) of the Sun and Earth, which would help it monitor the star of our solar system without any eclipses. L1, Aditya’s parking spot, is also home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a joint project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).India's solar mission is also a step forward for ISRO scientists to analyse coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that trigger solar storms, which can hugely impact the Earth.What are CMEs and solar storms? Why is it necessary to study them? Let’s understand.What are CMEs?The Sun, which is vital for life on the Earth, ejects a lot of material into space. According to BusinessLine, a stream of charged particles – electrons and protons – frequently escape from the corona, the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere, and scatter across space.The bubbles of gas and magnetic fields "suddenly and violently" released by the corona are called coronal mass ejections, as per NASA.“A large CME can contain a billion tonnes of matter that can be accelerated to several million miles per hour in a spectacular explosion,” says the United States space agency.A CME becomes a concern when it is directed towards the Earth. Depending on its severity, it could batter Earth’s magnetic field or magnetosphere. Travelling at a speed of 3,000 kilometers per second, rapid CMEs can hit Earth in about 15 to 18 hours. Whereas, slower CMEs – at 250 km/s speed – can take many days to arrive, noted Space.com. "Larger CMEs can reach a size comprising nearly a quarter of the space between Earth and the Sun by the time it reaches our planet", Space.com cited National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as saying.What are solar storms? Solar storms are magnetic plasma released from the solar surface at a great speed, as per Indian Express. This disturbance of Earth's upper atmosphere, also called a geomagnetic storm, is brought on by CMEs, noted Britannica.When a big CME triggers a solar storm it can impact satellites as well as affect power grids and telecom networks on the Earth. There are more than 7,000 satellites orbiting the Earth, with the number expected to rise in the future.[caption id="attachment_13067312" align="alignnone" width="640"]

A NASA handout of the Sun before it released a major solar flare in 2012. Reuters File Photo[/caption]The Earth experienced its greatest solar storm in 1859. Known as the ‘Carrington Event’, a major CME triggered a geomagnetic storm, which sent telegraph and electrical systems haywire for days.Last February, a geomagnetic storm was blamed for Elon Musk’s Starlink losing dozens of satellites following their launch.ALSO READ: ISRO gearing up for Aditya-L1 mission launch: Why studying the Sun mattersWhy studying solar storms is importantIt is hard to forecast when CMEs will occur, so it can help scientists tremendously if there are more findings about these ejections.Speaking to News18, Professor Ramesh R of Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) said, “We do not know when and where they can happen. Usually, there can be two to three CMEs per day, but they can even go up to 11 to 12 per day when there are more sunspots. Therefore, it is essential to understand the solar atmosphere and the changes in its magnetic field, so we can devise ways to predict these flares”.The Sun’s corona continues to pose a great mystery for scientists. “It is the most important star for us and we need to understand its effect on us. With Aditya-L1, we hope that we will be able to study even the lowest boundary of corona,” Ramesh added.As solar storms impact global positioning systems (GPS), radio, and satellite communications, more knowledge about these events is important.IIA director Annapurni Subramaniam told Moneycontrol, "Depending on the intensity of solar mass that is ejected during a CME, space weather gets affected. The question is how much does the sun affect things in space because we are more and more dependent on space technology such as GPS, mobile connectivity and so on."What will Aditya-L1 do?As per ISRO, the space observatory will study the dynamics of the chromosphere and corona; in-situ particle and plasma environment; the heating mechanism of the corona; magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in corona; temperature, velocity and density of coronal and coronal loops plasma; and development, dynamics and origin of CMEs.It will also study chromospheric and coronal heating, space weather, the physics of the partially ionized plasma, what leads to solar eruptive events, and how CMEs and solar flares start.With inputs from agencies