Such coronal mass ejections can reach Earth in 15 hours and wreak havoc by disrupting electronics and power grids
Scientists in India reported the “first significant result” of the spaceship Aditya-L1 (Aditya – god of The sun in Indian mythology) the country’s first solar observation mission in space.
On July 16, the most important of the seven science instruments that Aditya-L1 was carrying — the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph, or Velc — captured data that helped scientists estimate the exact time when a coronal mass ejection (CME) started, says Bee BBC.
Studying CMEs – massive fireballswhich are blown off the Sun’s outermost coronal layer – is one of the most important scientific objectives of India’s first solar mission.
“Composed of energetic particles, a CME can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and can reach speeds of up to 3,000 km [1864 мили] per second as it travels. It can be aimed in any direction, including towards Earth,” says Prof. R. Ramesh of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, who designed the Velc.
“Now imagine this huge fireball drifting toward Earth. At maximum speed, it will take only about 15 hours to travel the Earth-Sun distance of 150 million kilometers.
The coronal ejection that Velc captured on July 16 began at 13:08 GMT. Prof. Velc principal investigator Ramesh, who has published a paper on this CME in the prestigious Astrophysical Journal Letters, said it originated on the Earth side.
“But within half an hour of its journey, the fiery mass swerved and went in another direction, going behind the Sun. Because it was so far away, it didn’t affect Earth’s weather.’
But solar storms, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections routinely affect Earth’s weather. They also influence space weather, where nearly 7,800 satellites are located, including more than 50 from India.
According to Space.com, they rarely pose a direct threat to human life, but they can wreak havoc on Earth by interfering with its magnetic field.
Their most beneficial effect causes beautiful auroras in places near the North and South Poles. Stronger coronal mass ejections can cause auroras to appear in the skies further away, such as in London or France – as happened in May and October.
But the impact is much more severe in space, where charged particles from a coronal mass ejection can render all of a satellite’s electronics inoperable. They can bring down power grids and affect weather and communications satellites.
“Today, our lives depend entirely on communication satellites, and CMEs can disrupt the Internet, phone lines and radio communications,” says Prof. Ramesh. “It could lead to absolute chaos.”
The most powerful solar storm in recorded history occurred in 1859. Dubbed the Carrington Event, it caused intense morning light shows and knocked out telegraph lines around the world.
NASA scientists say that in 2012, an equally powerful storm headed for Earth and we had “just as dangerous a shave”. They say a powerful coronal mass ejection breached Earth’s orbit on July 23, but that we were “incredibly lucky” that instead of hitting our planet, the storm cloud hit NASA’s STEREO-A solar observatory in space.
In 1989 A coronal mass ejection knocked out part of Quebec’s power grid for nine hours, leaving six million people without power.
And on November 4, 2015 solar activity disrupted air traffic control in Sweden and some other European airports, causing travel chaos for hours.
Scientists say that if we can see what’s happening on the Sun and spot a solar storm or coronal mass ejection in real time and watch its trajectory, it could work as a warning to turn off the power grids and satellites and keep them away in a harmful way.
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How does the Aditya-L1 mission’s unique vantage point at the Lagrange point 1 contribute to a deeper understanding of CMEs compared to Earth-based observations?
This article about India’s Aditya-L1 solar mission provides rich material for an interview. Here are some open-ended questions, divided into thematic sections, designed to encourage discussion:
**1. The Importance of Studying the Sun:**
* **Why is it crucial for scientists to study the Sun, especially events like coronal mass ejections (CMEs)?**
* **How does the Aditya-L1 mission contribute to our understanding of space weather and its impact on Earth?**
* **Beyond the scientific value, what are the potential societal and economic benefits of understanding solar activity better?**
**2. The Aditya-L1 Mission and its Capabilities:**
* **What makes the Aditya-L1 spacecraft unique compared to other solar observation missions?**
* **How does the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VeLC) instrument work, and what specific information can it provide about CMEs?**
* **What challenges did Indian scientists face in developing and launching the Aditya-L1 mission?**
**3. Threats and Impacts of CMEs:**
* **
The article mentions the potential impact of CMEs on power grids and satellites. Could you elaborate on the specific vulnerabilities and consequences of such disruptions?**
* **How can we better protect our infrastructure and technological systems from the effects of space weather?**
* **Have there been any historical examples of major CMEs causing significant damage on Earth? What lessons can we learn from them?**
**4. The Future of Space Exploration and Solar Research:**
* **
What are the next steps for the Aditya-L1 mission? What kind of data and insights do scientists hope to gather in the coming years?**
* **How do you see the field of solar research evolving in the future? What are the most pressing unanswered questions about the Sun and its activity?**
* **What role do international collaborations play in advancing our understanding of space weather and the Sun?**
** Interview Structure:**
You could structure the interview by starting with broad questions about the significance of solar research, then delve into the specifics of the Aditya-L1 mission and its findings.
Next, explore the potential impacts of CMEs on Earth, highlighting both the threats and the measures we can take to mitigate them. you could conclude with a future-oriented discussion about the future of solar research and space exploration.
Remember to keep the conversation flowing naturally, allowing the interviewee to share their insights and perspectives freely.
