Chennai, Nov 8 : India’s solar exploratory mission spacecraft, Aditya-L1, which is on its journey to the sun-earth L1 point, has successfully captured the first glimpse of solar flares, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The solar flares were captured by the L1-Orbiting X-ray spectrometer HELIOS during its first observation period from approximately 12:00 to 22:00 UT on October 29, 2023. The instrument recorded the impulsive phase of solar flares, and the data is consistent with the X-ray light curves provided by NOAA’s GOES.
The High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HELIOS) was commissioned on October 27, 2023, and is currently undergoing fine-tuning of thresholds and calibration operations. The instrument is set to monitor the Sun’s high-energy X-ray activity with fast timing and high-resolution spectra.
HEL1OS, developed by the Space Astronomy Group of the U. R. Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO, Bengaluru, is the hard X-ray spectrometer on Aditya-L1 Solar Mission. It operates in the wide X-ray energy band of 10 – 150 keV and has the ability to capture the early impulsive phase of solar activity.
Solar flares are sudden brightenings of the solar atmosphere, involving significant energy release. Flares produce enhanced emission across the electromagnetic spectrum, including radio, optical, UV, soft X-rays, hard X-rays, and gamma-rays.
ISRO’s Aditya-L1 mission aims to study the outer atmosphere of the Sun and understand various aspects of solar activities. The successful capture of solar flares marks a significant achievement in advancing our understanding of solar phenomena and space weather.
