How India's Aditya L-1 will track the Sun during the total solar eclipse

India’s maiden solar mission, Aditya L1 is constantly studying the Sun.

It reached the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, approximately 1.5 kilometres away from Earth, earlier this year on 6 January, four months after it was launched.

In a fascinating phenomenon for scientists and skygazers, a total solar eclipse is scheduled today, 8 April, when the Moon will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun.

The rare event will completely block the Sun’s light and create a moment of complete darkness in several countries.

However, looks like our Aditya L1 will miss the total solar eclipse. Here’s why and what it will do during the event.

Aditya L1 won’t see solar eclipse

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The total solar eclipse that is expected to be seen across large portions of North America today will not be seen by Aditya L1.

This isn’t because the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made a mistake.

It’s because the Aditya L1 spacecraft is positioned in a halo orbit around the L1, giving it the primary benefit of being able to view the Sun continuously without any eclipses or occultation.

“Aditya L1 spacecraft will not see the solar eclipse as the moon is behind the spacecraft, at the Lagrange Point 1 (L1 point), the eclipse that is visible on Earth doesn’t have much significance at that location,” ISRO chairperson S Somnath told NDTV.

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This offers an even bigger benefit of real-time monitoring of solar activity and its impact on space weather.

So, what will the satellite do?

Throughout the total solar eclipse, Aditya L1 will keep tracking the Sun, assisting ISRO in its ongoing research into the star’s chromosphere and corona.

According to Hindustan Times, during the solar eclipse, it will do so using two of its six instruments: the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) and the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC).

When the Moon blocks the star during this eclipse, a brief view of the Sun’s corona— its outer layer — will be available to observers on Earth. Otherwise, the corona is invisible from Earth.

A solar physicist from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIAP), Bengaluru, Dr Dipankar Banerjee, tells NDTV the satellite gives scientists a chance to see and analyse the Sun’s corona both from space and during a total solar eclipse.

During today’s eclipse, Dr. Banerjee will be doing some ground-based experiments in Dallas, Texas, USA. The data from these tests will be compared with Aditya L1 data collected during the same viewing period.

ISRO’s Project Director for the Aditya L1 satellite, Nigar Shaji tells the news channel, “Due to the eclipse, nothing special happens to the Sun. The VELC spectroscopic channels will be operated in raster scan and sit and stare mode of operation [special observation modes] to observe the coronal structures in emission lines. This will be a joint campaign to corroborate with ground-based observations.”

By studying the solar corona and photosphere, among other solar phenomena, the Aditya L1 mission seeks to improve our understanding of their effects. The impact of solar winds and associated radiations are also studied.

Total solar eclipse

In its statement about the rare phenomenon, NASA said, “On 8 April 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.”

Some regions of North America, including Mexico, the US, and Canada, will be able to see the entire eclipse. It will be visible from Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Burlington, among other large cities. India won’t be able to see the first solar eclipse in 2024.

The space agency added, “Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing. Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.”

Why solar eclipses fascinate scientists

Eclipses on the sun have provided glances into the inner mysteries of universal relativity, the structure of the sun, and even the discovery of new elements for more than a century.

In particular, total solar eclipses present a rare opportunity to examine the Sun’s corona, a faint outer atmosphere that is normally hidden by its brightness.

While devices such as coronagraphs try to replicate eclipse circumstances, they frequently fail to record the innermost region of the corona where important activities take place, explains Moneycontrol.

Comprehending the corona’s dynamics is essential to understanding how the sun’s heat and energy are transferred into the solar wind, a stream of particles that can affect Earth’s atmosphere and technological advancements.

By studying eclipses, scientists can forecast and lessen the possible effects of solar activity on Earth.

In addition, eclipses cause a limited disturbance of solar radiation, making them an exceptional chance to investigate the earth’s atmosphere in particular circumstances.

Researchers can better comprehend processes like the ionosphere — a layer essential to satellite operations and communication systems — thanks to this focused illumination shift, the report says.

With inputs from agencies