It is a solar observatory mission launched by ISRO to the L1 Lagrange point using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL.

  • Aim to study the layers of sun, solar wind and Coronal Mass Ejection, flares.
  • The primary objective of Aditya-L1 is to gain a deeper understanding of the Sun’s behavior, including its radiation, heat, particle flow, and magnetic fields, and how they impact Earth.

Lagrange Points

  • Lagrange points are special positions in space where the gravitational forces of two large orbiting bodies, such as the Sun and the Earth, balance each other out.

Terms Associated with the Sun

  • Solar Wind: The solar wind is made of plasma (ionised atoms), a stream of energised, charged particles, primarily electrons and protons, flowing outward from the Sun at speeds as high as 900 km/s and at a temperature of 1 million°C.
  • Solar Flares: Solar flares are magnetic storms that appear as very bright spots with a gaseous surface eruption. 
  • Coronal Mass Ejection (CME): A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a massive burst of plasma and magnetic field released from the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona) into space.

 

Source: PIB