ISRO: Aditya-L1’s SUIT Captures Full-Disk Sun Images in Near Ultraviolet Spectrum.
On December 8, 2023, the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) aboard the Aditya-L1 spacecraft accomplished a significant milestone by capturing comprehensive images of the Sun in the 200-400 nm wavelength range. Initiated on November 20, 2023, the SUIT instrument underwent a successful activation, entering into a fruitful pre-commissioning phase that paved the way for its inaugural light science images on December 6, 2023.
These groundbreaking images, obtained through eleven distinct filters detailed in Table 1, present the first-ever full-disk visualizations of the Sun within the 200 to 400 nm spectrum, excluding Ca II h, a wavelength extensively studied by other observatories. Notable solar features such as sunspots, plage, and regions of the quiet Sun are discernible, particularly highlighted in the Mg II h image. This achievement offers scientists unprecedented insights into the intricate dynamics of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere.
SUIT’s observations are poised to play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of the dynamic interplay within the magnetized solar atmosphere. The data gathered will contribute to placing precise constraints on the impact of solar radiation on Earth’s climate. This research opens new avenues for comprehending the complexities of solar phenomena.
The collaborative efforts leading to the development of SUIT were spearheaded by the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. This collaborative endeavor involved key contributions from ISRO, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), the Centre for Excellence in Space Science Indian (CESSI) at IISER-Kolkata, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics Bengaluru, the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO-PRL), and Tezpur University Assam. The combined expertise of these institutions has culminated in the successful realization of SUIT, marking a significant stride in solar observation capabilities.
Name of the filter (emission lines) |
Wavelength (nm) |
Features |
NB1 |
214 |
Photosphere, Sunspot, Plages and limb darkening |
NB2 |
276 |
Photosphere, Sunspot, Plages, limb darkening |
NB3 (Mg II k) |
279 |
Chromosphere, Sunspots, Plages, Quiet Sun, filaments |
NB4 (Mg II h) |
280 |
Chromosphere, Sunspots, Plages, Quiet Sun, filaments |
NB5 |
283 |
Photosphere, Sunspot, Plages, limb darkening |
NB6 |
300 |
Photosphere, Sunspot, Plages, limb darkening |
NB7 |
388 |
Photosphere, Sunspot, limb darkening |
NB8 (Ca II h) |
396.8 |
Chromosphere, Sunspots, Plages, Quiet Sun, |
BB1 |
200-242 |
Photosphere, limb darkening, Plages, Sunspots |
BB2 |
242-300 |
Photosphere, limb darkening, Plages, Sunspots |
BB3 |
320-360 |
Photosphere, limb darkening, Sunspots |
Table 1: List of filters used and their features
(Source for images : ISRO)
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