ISRO's Aditya-L1 Captures First Full-Disk Images of the Sun

• 11 Dec 2023

On 8^th December, 2023, ISRO announced that the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) on the Aditya-L1 spacecraft has achieved a significant milestone by capturing the first full-disk images of the Sun.

Key Points

• 200-400 nm Range: The images, taken in the 200-400 nm wavelength range, utilized various scientific filters to capture the photosphere and chromosphere of the Sun.
• The SUIT payload, powered on November 20, successfully captured its first light science images on December 6.
• Eleven Different Filters: The images, taken with eleven different filters, include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm.
• These images offer unprecedented insights into sunspots, plage, and quiet Sun regions, providing scientists with intricate details of the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere.
• Dynamic Solar Atmosphere: SUIT observations will aid scientists in studying the dynamic coupling of the magnetized solar atmosphere.
• It will help in placing tight constraints on the effects of solar radiation on Earth's climate.
• The captured images are expected to provide pioneering insights into solar activities.
• India's First Mission to Study Sun: Launched on September 2, Aditya-L1 is India's inaugural space-based mission dedicated to studying the Sun.
• Positioned in a halo orbit around Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, approximately 15 lakh km from Earth, the spacecraft offers continuous observation of the Sun without interruptions.
• It provides real-time insights into solar activities and their impact on space weather.