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Picture Courtesy: The Hindu

Context:

The Sun plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth and driving modern technology. However, its intense activity — including solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and magnetic storms — can disrupt satellites, communications, navigation systems, and even power grids. Understanding these solar phenomena is essential for predicting and managing “space weather.”

What is Solar Physics?

Solar physics is the branch of astrophysics that focuses on studying the Sun — its structure, composition, magnetic activity, and its influence on the solar system.
It helps scientists understand how the Sun produces energy, how it affects space weather, and how its activity impacts Earth and other planets.

What are Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CME)?

Solar flares are powerful explosions caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy above sunspots, producing radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Cause:
Flares are triggered by the reconnection of twisted magnetic field lines in the Sun’s corona. When these magnetic fields suddenly realign, they release stored magnetic energy in the form of heat, light, and accelerated particles.

Characteristics:

• Duration: A few minutes to several hours.
• Energy released: Up to 10³² ergs, equivalent to billions of hydrogen bombs.
• Radiation emitted: Spans the entire electromagnetic spectrum — from radio waves to X-rays and gamma rays.

Classification: Based on X-ray brightness, flares are categorized as A, B, C, M, or X-class, with X-class being the most powerful.

Effects: The radiation from large flares can disturb Earth’s ionosphere, disrupting radio communication, GPS navigation, and even aviation systems.

A CME is a massive eruption of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona) into interplanetary space.

Composition: CMEs carry billions of tons of electrically charged particles (protons, electrons, and heavy ions) embedded in magnetic field structures.

Mechanism: CMEs are often associated with magnetic instabilities or the same magnetic reconnection events that produce flares. However, while flares emit radiation, CMEs involve the physical ejection of solar material.

Speed: CMEs can travel from 250 to 3,000 km/s, reaching Earth in 1–3 days, depending on their velocity.

Impact: When an Earth-directed CME interacts with the planet’s magnetic field, it can cause geomagnetic storms, auroras, satellite malfunctions, and even power grid disruptions.

Relationship Between Flares and CMEs:

• Though solar flares and CMEs often occur together, they are distinct phenomena.
• Both are driven by magnetic energy release, but a flare is a radiation event, whereas a CME is a plasma ejection.
• Some powerful flares may not produce CMEs, and some CMEs occur without a major flare.
• Their combined occurrence, especially when directed toward Earth, significantly increases the risk of severe space weather events.

Picture Courtesy: Research Gate

Current Status:

Solar Flares

• We are in the midst of Solar Cycle 25, which began around December 2019 and is expected to peak around late 2024 to early 2025. (Source: Environmental Research Institute)
• Flares remain frequent, including strong “M-class” and “X-class” events. For example, an X1.1-class flare was detected on 28 March 2025. (Source: com)
• That said, while flare numbers are elevated compared to quiet solar periods, many are not Earth-directed or only glancing. For example, bulletins in April–May 2025 showed periods of no Earth-directed CMEs accompanying flares. (Source: com)

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

• Some significant CME activity occurred during May 2024: e.g., around AR 13664 which produced multiple X-class flares and succeeding CMEs, and triggered a major geomagnetic storm (Dst ≈ -412 nT) — one of the largest in decades. . (Source: arXiv)
• More recently, in April–June 2025, many CMEs observed were not clearly Earth-directed and Earth impact forecasts have often remained “quiet to active” rather than severe. (Source: Solen)

Importance of Aditya-L1 in understanding Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs):

Strategic Position – Lagrange Point L1

• Aditya-L1 is positioned about 5 million km from Earth at the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) between the Sun and Earth.
• This unique location allows uninterrupted, real-time observation of the Sun without being affected by Earth’s shadow.

Advanced Scientific Payloads

• Aditya-L1 carries seven scientific instruments designed to study different layers of the Sun — from the photosphere to the corona — and measure the solar wind.

Contribution to Solar Flare Research

• Aditya-L1’s high-resolution imaging and UV spectroscopy enable detailed observation of magnetic reconnection — the process responsible for solar flares.

Contribution to CME Studies

• The VELC coronagraph can trace CMEs from their birth near the Sun’s surface to their early propagation through the corona.

Educational and Research Benefits

• Aditya-L1 promotes capacity building by engaging universities, young researchers, and industry partners in solar data analysis.

Challenges:

Government Measures:

Space Situational Awareness & Sustainability

• ISRO’s “Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) 2024” describes the work of the ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Operations Management (IS4OM) in tracking space‐environment hazards (including energy & particle flux) and protecting satellites. (Source: ISRO)
• Initiatives such as Project NETRA help expand India’s indigenous capability to monitor space objects and environment. (Source: The Indian Express)

Policy & Regulatory Reform for the Space Sector

• The Indian Space Policy 2023 was approved in April 2023, providing a framework for private sector participation, defining roles for ISRO, the newly created Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and others. (Source: in)
• Regulatory reforms include allowing private players to carry out end-to-end space activities (launch, operation, services) and liberalising foreign direct investment. (Source: The Indian Express)

Funding & Industry Promotion

• A dedicated venture capital fund of ~ ₹1,000 crore has been announced to support space startups, micro/small enterprises. (Source: Trilegal)
• IN-SPACe has signed multiple MoUs with non-government entities to facilitate industry participation and use of ISRO infrastructure. (Source: ISRO)

Focus on Space Weather & Solar Research

• ISRO’s mission Aditya‑L1 (dedicated to studying the Sun and solar environment) reflects a concrete measure to monitor solar activity, which is directly relevant for solar flares/CMEs. (Source: sia-india.com)
• Efforts are being made to incorporate space weather monitoring into space sustainability and satellite protection strategies.

Way Forward:

• Expand Multi-Point Solar Observations: Deploy additional spacecraft at Lagrange Points L4 and L5 to complement Aditya-L1 at L1. 

• Enhance Ground-Based Solar Facilities: Expedite the construction of the National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) to study the Sun’s lower atmosphere with high spatial and temporal resolution. 

• Strengthen Space Weather Forecasting Infrastructure: Establish a dedicated National Space Weather Prediction Centre (NSWPC) under ISRO or the Ministry of Earth Sciences. 

• Build Computational and Data Ecosystem: Create a national supercomputing facility for solar and space plasma simulations. 

• Promote Capacity Building and Education: Expand the ongoing Aditya-L1 workshop series to train early-career scientists, engineers, and students in solar data analysis, machine learning, and modelling. 

• Encourage Public–Private Collaboration: Strengthen collaboration between ISRO, IN-SPACe, and private startups to develop small, cost-effective satellites for continuous space weather monitoring.  

• International Cooperation and Data Sharing: Participate actively in global programs like ESA’s Vigil Mission or NASA’s Parker Solar Probe collaborations to exchange scientific insights. 

• Public Awareness and Policy Integration: Integrate space weather forecasting into national risk management and disaster-preparedness frameworks.

Source: The Hindu