Why ISRO's Aditya-L1 will not see today's total solar eclipse
Aditya-L1, India's leading space-based solar observatory, will not capture today's total solar eclipse. The reason for this is the satellite's positioning, which is designed to provide a constant view of the Sun throughout the year. Today's celestial event, where the Moon completely obscures the Sun, will be largely visible across North America and has not been seen in parts of western and northern New York State for nearly a hundred years.
Moon will be behind Aditya-L1 today
Despite the global anticipation, India's Aditya-L1 satellite will not be part of this rare event. ISRO chairman S Somanath clarified that "Aditya-L1 spacecraft will not see the solar eclipse as the moon is behind the spacecraft, at the Lagrange Point 1 (L1 point), the eclipse that is visible on Earth doesn't have much significance at that location." The Aditya-L1 orbits around the Sun-Earth system's L1 point, approximately 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth.
Aditya L1's unique capabilities and mission
Weighing nearly 1,500 kilograms and built at a cost of ₹400 crore, Aditya-L1 is designed to continuously monitor solar activity and its impact on space weather. Interestingly, the satellite can create its own artificial solar eclipse using its Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC). As explained by Somanath, "A solar eclipse is created in the coronagraph by eliminating the light from the disc of the Sun."
Aditya L1's contribution to solar research
Dr Dipankar Banerjee, a solar physicist with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIAP), Bengaluru, highlighted that the spacecraft provides scientists with a unique opportunity to study the Sun's corona from space. He will be conducting experiments in Dallas, Texas, during today's eclipse and will compare that data with Aditya-L1's data for the same viewing period. This comparison will offer valuable insights into solar activity and its effects on Earth.
Total solar eclipse sparks excitement across North America
The path of totality, where the Sun is entirely blocked by the Moon, has generated widespread excitement across the United States. Various cities have planned special events to celebrate this rare celestial occurrence. NASA is deploying specialized research aircraft to track the shadow, among other experiments, during the upcoming event. While the entire event will span several hours, the moment when the Moon will completely cover the face of the Sun—Totality—will last for about four minutes.
