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For India's first solar observatory, 2026 will be like no other.

It's the first time the observatory – that entered in orbit recently – will be able to observe our star during its maximum activity cycle.

According to scientific data, this occurs approximately every 11 years as the Sun's magnetic poles flip – a similar Earth scenario could be the North and South poles swapping positions.

This period of great turbulence. It involves our star changing from calm to stormy and is marked by a significant rise in the frequency of solar eruptions and massive solar flares – massive bubbles of plasma that blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Made up of charged particles, a CME can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and can attain velocities exceeding 2,000 miles per second. It can head out toward various directions, including towards our planet. At top speed, the journey takes an ejection 15 hours to cover the 150 million km between Earth and the Sun.

"In the normal or low-activity times, our star emits two to three CMEs a day," says a leading scientist. "In 2026, we expect them to be over ten each day."

Researching CMEs is one of the most important research goals of India's first solar observatory. One, as these eruptions offer a chance to learn about the star at the centre of our planetary system, and two, since events that take place on the Sun threaten systems on Earth and in orbit.

Impacts on Earth and Orbital Systems

CMEs seldom present immediate danger to human life, but they do affect our planet through generating geomagnetic storms that impact the weather in near space, where nearly thousands of spacecraft, comprising Indian satellites, are stationed.

"The most spectacular displays from solar eruptions include northern lights, which are direct evidence that solar particles from Sun journey to Earth," the expert clarifies.

"However, they may cause electronic systems on a satellite malfunction, knock down power grids and disrupt meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Past Solar Incidents

• The most powerful solar event ever recorded occurred during the 1859 solar superstorm that disabled communication systems worldwide
• During 1989, sections of Canadian electrical network was knocked out, affecting millions without power for hours
• During late 2015, solar activity disrupted air traffic control, leading to chaos in Sweden and some other European air hubs
• In February 2022, a CME had led to 38 commercial satellites failing

If we are able to see events on the Sun's corona and detect solar activity or solar eruption in real time, record its temperature at origin and track its path, this serves as advanced warning to shut down electrical systems and satellites and move them to safety.

The Mission's Special Capability

There are other solar missions observing our star, India's spacecraft has an advantage over others regarding watching the corona.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it effectively simulate the Moon, completely blocking the solar disk permitting continuous observation of almost all solar atmosphere 24 hours a day, throughout the year, even during solar events," notes the expert.

Essentially, this instrument functions as a synthetic eclipse, obscuring the Sun's bright surface allowing scientists constantly study its faint outer corona – a feat the real Moon provide only during specific moments.

Moreover, it's unique that can study eruptions using optical wavelengths, letting it measure eruption heat and thermal output – crucial data indicating how strong of an eruption if it headed our direction.

Preparation for Peak Period

To prepare for next year's peak solar activity period, researchers collaborated to study information obtained from one of the largest CMEs recorded by the mission has recorded until now.

It originated in September 2024 during early hours. The eruption's weight was 270 million tonnes – the iceberg that struck the ship was 1.5 million tonnes.

At origin, the heat reached extreme levels and the energy content comparable to millions of tons of TNT – in comparison nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 15 kilotons in scale each.

Even though the numbers make it sound incredibly large, the expert describes it as a "medium-sized" one.

The asteroid that eliminated prehistoric life on Earth carried enormous energy and during the Sun's maximum activity cycle, we could see CMEs carrying power matching even more than that.

"I consider this eruption we analyzed to have occurred during periods of typical solar activity. This establishes the standard that we'll be using assessing what is in store during solar maximum occurs," he says.

"The learnings from this will assist in work out the countermeasures to be adopted safeguarding satellites in near space. They will also help achieving deeper knowledge of near-Earth space," he concludes.