The images, which cover a wavelength range from 200 to 400 nanometers, offer unparalleled insights into the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere — the visible "surface" of the Sun and the transparent layer over it.
The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's (Isro) Aditya-L1 spacecraft has captured the first-ever full-disk pictures of the Sun in ultraviolet wavelengths.
Announced on Friday, this marks a remarkable feat in India’s quest for solar observation and research.
The images, which cover a wavelength range from 200 to 400 nanometers, offer unparalleled insights into the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere — the visible "surface" of the Sun and the transparent layer over it.
These layers are vital for understanding various solar phenomena, including sunspots, flares, and prominences, which can have grave effects on space weather and Earth's climate.
The spacecraft was powered on November 20, 2023, and after a successful pre-commissioning phase, it got its first light science pictures on December 6, 2023.
The telescope uses eleven different filters to provide detailed insights into the Sun's atmosphere, uncovering areas such as sunspots, plage regions, and the quiet Sun. These filters permit scientists to understand the dynamic coupling of the magnetized solar atmosphere and the effects of solar radiation on Earth's climate.
Made by a team of 50 scientists, researchers, and students from Pune's Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), SUIT is among seven payloads onboard Aditya-L1.
The mission aims to answer crucial doubts about the propagation of energy from the photosphere to the chromosphere and beyond, the causes of dynamic solar events, and the initial kinematics of erupting prominences.
The data garnered by SUIT will revolutionize the understanding of solar atmospheric dynamics, revealing intricate coupling and energy transfer mechanisms within the Sun's layers.
By capturing views of different heights of the solar atmosphere, SUIT will also contribute to know about Sun-climate relationship and the potential affect of UV radiation on skin cancer risks.
As Aditya-L1 proceeds to Lagrange Point 1, the scientific community had been eagerly waiting for the first images from India's maiden solar probe.
Isro said that SUIT observations will help scientists study the dynamic coupling of the magnetized solar atmosphere and assist them in placing tight constraints on the effects of solar radiation on Earth's climate.
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