
Auroras in Ladakh: Astronomers reveal how solar blast lit up Indian skies
'This was a unique sequence of six interacting CMEs, associated with solar flares and filament eruptions, all originating from a hyperactive region on the Sun,' explained Dr. Wageesh Mishra, a faculty member at IIA.Using data from space-based observatories run by NASA and ESA, scientists at IIA's Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, Ladakh, developed advanced models to trace both the path and thermal behavior of these solar storms as they travelled across the solar system.Their study, published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, provides the first continuous thermal profile of multiple interacting solar blasts.Lead author and doctoral scholar Soumyaranjan Khuntia explained, 'Initially, the CMEs released heat, but as they travelled further, they began to absorb and retain heat, settling into a nearly constant temperature state—a surprising and complex behaviour.' Closer to Earth, instruments like NASA's Wind spacecraft detected another anomaly: the final solar cloud carried twin magnetic structures, or 'double flux ropes,' resembling twisted braids of magnetic fields. These interacted in unusual ways, giving rise to the captivating auroras seen in Ladakh.'This work lays the foundation for a new frontier in space weather forecasting,' added Anjali Agarwal, a co-author of the study. With India's Aditya-L1 solar mission now operational, the team hopes to further refine their models using close-range solar data and observations closer to Earth.According to Dr. Mishra, 'India is well on its way to becoming a powerhouse in heliophysics research, helping us prepare for and predict future space weather disturbances that can affect Earth's technology and daily life.'- EndsTrending Reel
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The Print
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- The Print
How NASA's 15-minute flight to study the Sun may help unlock the mysteries of solar astrophysics
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'The Sun's visible layer photosphere is about 4000-6000 Kelvin hot, but the Corona can go up to 1 million Kelvin,' said Souvik Bose, solar physicist at Lockheed Martin and co-investigator of the SNIFS project. 'So there's clearly something happening in the middle layer, which is the chromosphere, that can help explain this. That's what we're trying to study.' The SNIFS mission went up on a sounding rocket, which is a form of suborbital flight which tests space experiments. It has been under development since 2020, and was part of a joint project by NASA, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, and the University of Colorado. The main element of the mission was an integral field spectrograph. A spectrograph is very simply a device that breaks down light rays into different wavelengths, and studies them individually. Since the Sun's rays contain ultraviolet and far ultraviolet light, which isn't visible to the naked eye, spectroscopy is a common method to study the energy and physics behind the Sun's rays. The SNIFS, however, is an advanced version of the technology that both captures images and studies the Sun's wavelengths. 'Previously, we've observed the Sun using spectroscopy, but they've been limited to narrow portions of the Sun,' explained Bose. 'With SNIFS, we got multiple angles and a much broader scope of the Sun in 2D view because it is a field spectrograph.' Bose described it as getting a picture at one traffic stop versus getting multiple pictures of traffic from multiple locations. With SNIFS, scientists can capture much higher speed and higher resolution of data with multiple dimensions of the Sun. 'Before, we would need to turn a spectrograph multiple times to cover more parts of the Sun. Now, with one 15-minute long flight, we have covered a broader area and get a fuller picture,' said Bose. The sounding rocket was a way to test this new integral field spectrograph in space, and if successful, it could lead to future longer space missions with entire payloads built on the same technology. Also Read: Big step for Samudrayaan as ISRO, NIOT complete key weld on deep-sea submersible after '700 trials' Why the chromosphere? According to a 2024 article by the National Solar Observatory in the US, the Sun's chromosphere is 'one of the most mysterious objects in astrophysics'. It is the place where the temperature, pressure and magnetic field of the Sun undergoes 'dramatic changes'. While the photosphere is what is visible to us from the Earth, it is the chromosphere where the magic is supposed to happen. For years, most missions to the Sun only used to carry imagers that would snap pictures of its rays and layers. However, to get an idea of the energy and heat radiated by the Sun, as well as the characteristics of sudden solar flares, spectroscopy is the way to go. 'We have some very powerful telescopes on Earth that use spectroscopy to study the Sun. But the thing is, the Earth's atmosphere filters out quite a bit of UV rays before they reach us,' explained Bose. Sending a spectrograph to space, beyond the Earth's atmosphere, was, therefore, important to capture the ultraviolet rays that contain essential information about the sun such as what elements make up its rays. The chromosphere has been known to do something strange to elements too, according to Bose. 'The particles like hydrogen, magnesium, and iron are all neutral when they're in the photosphere. But in the chromosphere, they're ionised, so they gain charge,' he explained. 'How does this happen? These are some questions that still persist about the chromosphere's role in the Sun's overall behaviour.' The flight took place on 19 July in the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The 15-minute-long suborbital flight reached a height of around 300 kms above the Earth's surface before landing back safely. Now, the team behind the rocket will recover and analyse the data from the experiment, which could take up to a few months. However, Bose and his teammates know how the information from this could help open a new avenue of solar astrophysics. 'To make sure the Earth is safe from space weather, we really would like to be able to model things,' Vicki Herde, a doctoral graduate of University of Colorado Boulder, who worked on the project, said in a NASA press release. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: Lift the veil, abandon Soviet-era approach. Indian science community wants ISRO to up its PR game


India Today
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How old is the Sun, and when will it extinguis?
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India Today
an hour ago
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Nasa working on deploying six helicopters on Mars: All about Skyfall
Building on the triumph of Ingenuity helicopter that achieved the first powered flight on another planet, Nasa is now preparing an ambitious new chapter in Martian exploration with the development of Skyfall, a mission concept featuring six next-generation in collaboration with Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Skyfall aims to expand the capabilities of aerial robotics on Mars, providing critical support for future missions and eventually paving the way for human groundbreaking flights, which demonstrated controlled powered flight on Mars for the first time, transformed how scientists approach planetary exploration. Now, Nasa plans to scale this technology dramatically. Skyfall is envisioned as a fleet of six helicopters that will work in concert, enabling rapid, versatile aerial reconnaissance across vast Martian GOALS: SCOUTING, RESOURCE IDENTIFICATIONSkyfall's helicopter fleet will serve multiple strategic purposes. By scouting remote and rugged locations inaccessible to rovers, the helicopters will identify scientifically valuable sites and potential resources such as water ice. This aerial perspective will also assist in scouting safe landing zones for future robotic missions and, crucially, America's first Martian astronauts. Skyfall Mars helicopter. (Photo: X.@aerovironment) The helicopters will provide real-time, high-resolution data to mission controllers, significantly enhancing situational awareness and reducing the risk and uncertainty that currently limits surface agility and speed will allow scientists to explore a wide area quickly, complementing rovers and Skyfall mission concept is part of Nasa's broader strategy to prepare for human exploration of advanced helicopters will demonstrate key technologies needed for surface mobility, aerial logistics, and habitat scouting, laying groundwork for sustainable human presence on the Red still in the conceptual stage, the Skyfall mission represents an exciting leap beyond Ingenuity. Through this fleet of Mars helicopters, Nasa is poised to unlock new scientific discoveries, improve mission flexibility, and bring humanity closer to setting foot on the agency continues to push the boundaries of interplanetary exploration, Skyfall shines as a beacon of innovation and hope for humanity's future on the Red Planet.- EndsTrending Reel