.jpg){kind=small}
ISRO has done it again, sending out the first Indian space-based mission to study the Sun, the Aditya-L1 mission. L1 stands for a Lagrangian point that offers an unobstructed view of the sun. The satellite is to study the atmosphere of the Sun in order to study the drivers of space weather such as the origin and composition of solar winds.
Data Credit: ISRO
Type | Sl. No. | Payload | Capability |
Remote Sensing Payloads | 1 | Visible Emission Line Coronagraph(VELC) | Corona/Imaging & Spectroscopy |
| 2 | Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) | Photosphere and Chromosphere Imaging- Narrow & Broadband |
| 3 | Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) | Soft X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation |
| 4 | High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer(HEL1OS) | Hard X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation |
In-situ Payloads | 5 | Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment(ASPEX) | Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Protons & Heavier Ions with directions |
| 6 | Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA) | Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Electrons & Heavier Ions with directions |
| 7 | Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers | In-situ magnetic field (Bx, By and Bz). |
Why is the Aditya-L1 mission important?
The Aditya satellite will study the Sun sans the influence of the Earth's magnetic fields. The data the satellite will gather and analyze will have applications in communications technology, and better help predict coronal mass ejections from the Sun.
Here is some amazing documentation from ISRO explaining the Aditya-L1 Mission and the technical details of the mission.
Movies about the Sun
To really get into the spirit of things with the successful launch of the Aditya 1 mission, here are 5 movies about the Sun you could watch:
1. Mystery Movie about the Sun ‘Sunshine’ (2007)
Danny Boyle directed this fantastic and enigmatic movie about an Earth that is going cold due to a dying Sun. A space mission is launched to restart the fusion process in the Sun with the help of a massive nuclear bomb. The Icarus II was launched seven years after the failure of Icarus I, and what ensues is a well-executed sci-fi mystery that is definitely worth a watch. (Even if in installments of half an hour).
There is a stellar cast (no pun intended) that drives this Danny Boyle sci-fi vehicle ranging from Chris Evans, Benedict Wong, Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, and more. The whole movie at points feels like the astronauts are embracing death in the grandest way possible - moving towards the biggest white light in the sky.
2. Philosophical Movie about the Sun Interstellar (2014)
One of Christopher Nolan's brilliant movies talks about the human animal's drive to survive, Interstellar is one of the most scientifically accurate movies so far. The human race has rendered the Earth uninhabitable and is on a mission to find a new solar system with a habitable planet. Aptly called the Lazarus missions, they take seeds of human civilization to set down roots elsewhere.
A few years after this movie we got our first image of a black hole against the light of a star which seemed identical to the CGI in the Interstellar movie.
If you don't see the similarities between the real-life image on the left and the CGI on the right, it's because the image is taken from a different perspective. The concept of multi-dimensional beings and navigating time as a physical construct are all intriguing and exciting prospects. There's also the premise of extreme time dilation that is shown well on screen.
J J Abrams did a great job bringing the Star Wars franchise back to life. Also inspiring many "May the Fourth" meme, The Force Awakens sees Han Solo and Chewy after a long time. A blogger has literally made that scene the header of his blog Musings of a Middle-Aged Geek. This dude also has one of the coolest logos ever - a Star Trek Communicator.
Anyway, getting down to the Solar connection, the Star-killer base is a weapon that is built into a planet. It can only be powered by a Sun! After draining a star, it can discharge that energy in a destructive directed blast to eviscerate entire planets simultaneously.
The movie in general makes up for the bad reboot and breathes new and necessary life into the franchise. Great original cast with better CGI and surprising cameos as usual.
4. Non-English Movie about the Sun The Wandering Earth (2019)
Just like in Sunshine, the Sun is dying out in this apocalyptic movie while people try to survive. The plan is almost as ambitious as a Dyson sphere ( building around a star to harness all its power). It is to build interplanetary thrusters to propel the entire planet Earth into a new star system.
Even if you are watching this Chinese movie in translated English, I'm sure none of the intrigue, action, and plotlines are missed. It is based on a book and is executed well and has been received by global audiences really well.
5. Dune (2021)
Frank Herbert's interpretation of interplanetary conflict and wars over resources has been a sensation ever since the book, the first movie, and the reboot. Dune takes shape on a desert planet, a mystical resource named spice/melange dictates the political climate, and everyday life.
The Sun connection here is that, unlike Sunshine and The Wandering Earth, the story takes place on a planet with an abundance of Sun, on Arrackis. The Dune 2021 reboot is done well by Denis Villeneuve, with Dune 2 dropping on 15th March 2024.
Like this post? Subscribe for more.