Why 2026 Will Be an Unprecedented Year for India's Solar Observation Mission

For India's first solar observatory, 2026 will be like no other.

It's the first time the observatory – that entered into space recently – will be able to watch our star when it reaches the peak of its solar cycle.

According to research, this occurs approximately once every 11 years when the Sun's polarity reverses – a similar Earth scenario could be the planet's poles changing places.

It's a time marked by intense activity. It sees 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 blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Made up of charged particles, a coronal mass ejection may have a mass up to a trillion kilograms and reach velocities exceeding 2,000 miles each second. It can head out in any direction, even toward our planet. At maximum velocity, it would take an ejection about half a day to cover the vast distance Earth-Sun distance.

"In the normal or low-activity times, the Sun emits a few solar eruptions daily," explains a leading scientist. "In 2026, we expect them to be 10 or more daily."

Researching CMEs ranks among the most important scientific objectives for the Indian maiden solar mission. Firstly, as these eruptions offer a chance to learn about the Sun at the centre of our solar system, and secondly, because activities occurring on the Sun threaten systems on Earth and in space.

Effects on Our Planet and Space Infrastructure

CMEs seldom present a direct threat to people, yet they impact our planet through generating geomagnetic storms affecting conditions in near space, where about 11,000 satellites, including many from India, orbit.

"The most spectacular manifestations from solar eruptions include northern lights, which are a clear example that solar particles from our star are travelling to Earth," the scientist explains.

"However, they may make all the electronics on a satellite malfunction, disable electrical networks and affect weather and communication satellites."

Past Solar Incidents

• The most powerful solar storm ever recorded was the 1859 solar superstorm that disabled communication systems across the globe
• During 1989, a part of Quebec's power grid failed, affecting six million people without power for nine hours
• In November 2015, solar activity disrupted air traffic control, leading to disruption in Sweden and various European air hubs
• In February 2022, a CME had led to dozens of spacecraft being lost

If we are able to see events on the Sun's corona and spot a solar storm or a coronal mass ejection in real time, measure its heat at origin and track its path, this serves as advanced warning to switch off electrical systems and satellites redirecting them out of harm's way.

Aditya-L1's Special Capability

There are other solar missions watching the Sun, India's spacecraft holds an edge over others regarding watching the corona.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it effectively simulate the Moon, fully covering the solar disk permitting an uninterrupted view of nearly the entire of the corona around the clock, 365 days a year, including during eclipses and occultations," says the researcher.

In other words, this instrument acts like a synthetic eclipse, obscuring the solar glare to let researchers continuously observe the dim solar atmosphere – a feat natural eclipses provide only during specific moments.

Moreover, it's unique that can study eruptions in visible light, enabling it to measure eruption heat and thermal output – crucial data that show the intensity of an eruption when traveling toward Earth.

Readiness for Peak Period

To prepare for the upcoming solar maximum, researchers collaborated analyzing the data gathered from a major solar eruption recorded by the mission has recorded until now.

This event began on 13 September 2024 during early hours. Its mass totaled billions of tons – the iceberg that sank Titanic was 1.5 million tonnes.

At origin, its temperature was 1.8 million degrees Celsius with energy equivalent was equivalent to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – in comparison nuclear weapons used in Japan were 15 kilotons and 21 kilotons each.

Even though these figures make it sound massive, the expert classifies it as a "medium-sized" one.

The asteroid that eliminated prehistoric life on our planet carried enormous energy and when the Sun's maximum activity cycle, we could see eruptions carrying power equal to even more than that.

"In my view the CME we evaluated to have occurred during periods was in the normal activity phase. This establishes the benchmark that we'll be using assessing what is in store when the maximum activity cycle arrives," he says.

"The insights from this will assist in work out the countermeasures to be adopted safeguarding satellites in orbit. Additionally, they'll aid achieving a better understanding of near-Earth space," he adds.