Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based solar observatory to study the Sun, will reach its destination on January 6, 2024. The spacecraft’s destination is a halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1 (L1), a special point in space where the gravitational forces exerted by the Sun and the Earth on Aditya-L1 will be balanced. S Somanath, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said the time at which Aditya-L1 will be inserted into the orbit has not been decided yet, news agency ANI reported.
The event will be live-streamed on the official YouTube channel of ISRO.
Aditya-L1’s final destination is located 1.5 million kilometres from Earth.
#WATCH | On Aditya L-1 mission, ISRO chief S Somnath says, “The L1 point insertion of Aditya L1 will be done on 6th January 2024 but the time has not been decided yet…” pic.twitter.com/cOFWx1wQ67
— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2023
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What science experiments has Aditya-L1 conducted so far?
Aditya-L1 was launched on September 2, 2023, at 11:50 am IST, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Aditya-L1 was placed into the intended orbit over an hour after launch.
On September 19, Aditya-L1 performed a manoeuvre called ‘Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Insertion’, following which the spacecraft entered the trajectory that will take it to Sun-Earth L1. Aditya-L1 exited Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence that day. It is India’s second spacecraft to exit Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence, after Mangalyaan-1.
So far, Aditya-L1 has conducted scientific experiments such as measuring high-energy particles, capturing its first high-energy X-rays from solar flares, measuring energy variations in protons and alpha particles, and capturing full-disk images of the Sun in near-ultraviolet wavelengths.
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Measured high-energy particles
The SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) is Aditya-L1’s first payload to start scientific experiments. It is a high-energy spectrometer that measures high-energy ions present in solar winds.
On September 10, 2023, STEPS started measuring suprathermal ions, or very energetic particles, and electrons at distances greater than 50,000 kilometres from the Earth. ISRO also shared a graph showing the change in the behaviour of energetic particles with time.
With the help of these observations, scientists can analyse the behaviour of particles in the presence of Earth’s magnetic field.
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Captured first high-energy X-rays from solar flares
On November 7, the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) payload captured its first high-energy X-ray glimpse of solar flares. The payload is a hard X-ray spectrometer, and its aim is to study solar flares by measuring hard X-rays, which are high-energy X-rays. HEL1OS analyses X-rays with shorter wavelengths emitted by the Sun.
The payload conducted its first experiment on October 29, 2023.
Data obtained from HEL1OS will enable researchers to study explosive energy release and electron acceleration during impulsive phases of solar flares, which is the phase during which electrons and other particles are accelerated after the stored energy in the magnetic field is released.
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Measured energy variations in protons and alpha particles
The Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS), a low-energy spectrometer that measures protons and alpha particles present in solar winds, and the second instrument in the Aditya Solar wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX), became operational on December 2, 2023.
ASPEX is a particle analyser whose aim is to analyse different particles in solar winds, such as protons and heavier ions, in different directions.
ISRO has released a histogram made using data obtained by SWIS. The payload had measured energy variations in protons and alpha particles.
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Captured full-disc images of the Sun in near-ultraviolet wavelengths
The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), an ultraviolet telescope, has captured full-disc images of the Sun in near-ultraviolet wavelengths. There are several images of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nanometres, a first-of-its-kind feat. From these images, scientists can obtain. interesting details about the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere.
The photosphere is the visible disk of the Sun, and the chromosphere is the layer between the photosphere and the Sun’s outermost layer, or corona.
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Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
