The solar probe’s Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument successfully took the first full-disk photos of the Sun in the 200-400 nm wavelength region, the Indian space agency reported on Friday.
Aditya L1, launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on September 2, is India’s first space-based mission to study the Sun. The spacecraft has the unusual benefit of continually monitoring the Sun without interruptions since it is in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth system’s Lagrange point 1 (L1), roughly 15 lakh km from Earth. This unimpeded perspective enables real-time monitoring of solar activity and its influence on space weather, a big step forward in solar science.
The telescope on Aditya-L1 provided scientists with images of sunspots and other parts of the Sun. This helps them understand the Sun’s outer layers, the photosphere and chromosphere. SUIT observations will also aid scientists in understanding how the Sun’s magnetic atmosphere interacts with one another and how solar radiation impacts Earth’s environment.
On November 20, the SUIT payload was triggered. On December 6, after a successful pre-commissioning phase, the telescope recorded its first light science photos. With the exception of Ca II h, these extraordinary photos, obtained via eleven different filters, include the Sun’s first-ever full-disk representations at wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm. While observatories have previously studied full disk images of the Sun in the Ca II h wavelength, this marks the first time SUIT has achieved this feat.
Aditya-L1 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) December 8, 2023
The SUIT payload captures full-disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths
The images include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm.
They provide pioneering insights into the intricate details… pic.twitter.com/YBAYJ3YkUy
The payload performs a dual function by acquiring critical information on the solar atmosphere, namely the lower and intermediate solar atmosphere. This information is critical for comprehending the mechanisms of ozone and oxygen formation and dissociation.
It will also aid in the monitoring of solar outbursts, which represent a severe threat to technology-dependent services. Understanding the time of these explosions allows for mitigation by temporarily turning down satellites, averting possible harm.
The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, served as the driving force behind the cooperative effort that developed SUIT.
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