Aditya-L1 telescope gives first-ever full disk images of Sun, Pune IUCAA scientists beam in joy

“It is a lifetime opportunity for a scientist to conceive the idea of such a complex space telescope payload and then get to see the first light observations. Full disk images in this combination of wavelengths are being taken for the first time ever by a space telescope.” says Professor Durgesh Tripathi, principal investigator of SUIT..

Physicist Prof. A N Ramaprakash has termed it a gratifying journey. “Early stage data indicate that the instrument’s components are performing as per expectations. The entire SUIT team, spread across multiple institutions, is thrilled at achieving this major milestone, ” he says.

In a monumental achievement for the Indian solar science community, the SUIT on board the Aditya-L1 spacecraft has successfully captured its first light images, marking a crucial milestone in the mission, stated IUCAA.

The instrument payload, which was designed at the IUCAA in Pune, will pave a path in our understanding of the Sun’s dynamics and yet inexplicable phenomenon close to its surface, it said in a statement.

According to Prof Nishant Singh, another solar physicist at IUCAA, SUIT will help in the better understanding of various physical processes behind the energetic events that take place in the solar atmosphere.

“One of the biggest puzzles of solar physics is the solar coronal heating problem, and due to its capability of probing different layers of chromosphere, SUIT will provide important clues on the energy transfer mechanisms which lead to the formation of a corona with temperatures exceeding million degree Kelvin. Moreover, studying the properties of seismic modes in the solar atmosphere using SUIT data may help us predict eruptive events, such as flares and CMEs, which impact the space weather,” the scientist explained.

IUCAA director Prof R Srianand said, “I am excited to see the first set of images taken with SUIT. They look great and we are looking forward to seeing well-calibrated images that will unravel physics in the outer regions of the Sun. I congratulate the team and wish them all the best in their ongoing efforts to fully commission this instrument!”

Aditya-L1 lifted off for the sun from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikotta on September 2.

SUIT unveils Sun’s hidden layers

SUIT, equipped with 11 specialised light filters operating in the 200-400 nm (Ultraviolet) wavelength range, is designed to continuously provide high-resolution images of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere. The recent observations, first ones using three different filters—Mg II h (280.3 nm), Mg II k (279.6 nm), and Narrow Band 6 (300 nm)—have revealed the first details about the Sun’s surface and atmospheric layers like the chromosphere and photosphere. Subsequently, all filters have now been successfully tested and are giving good images.

Paving the Way for Solar Science

The successful activation and imaging by the SUIT payload promises to provide a significantly better ability to study the Sun’s behaviour, particularly of the regions that emit energetic Ultraviolet radiation. When fully operational, SUIT will allow scientists to explore the dynamic coupling of the magnetized solar atmosphere.

As the scientific community eagerly awaits the Aditya-L1 spacecraft reaching the destination orbit around the 1st Lagrangian point of the Earth-Sun system, preparations and training are also being conducted to make future scholars ready for further data acquisition and analysis.