Aditya-L1, India's first dedicated solar observatory, is preparing to observe the Sun at its next expected peak of activity in 2026, which might represent a turning point for solar research.

The mission, launched in 2023, will for the first time study the Sun’s ‘solar maximum,’ a period that happens roughly every 11 years when the Sun’s magnetic poles flip and solar storms spike.

As the Sun transitions from relative stillness to tumultuous activity — a feature of solar maximum — scientists predict a substantial surge in solar storms and the frequency of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The Sun might emit two to three CMEs every day under normal circumstances, but that number might rise to ten or more by 2026.

CMEs are huge bubbles of fire from the Sun’s corona, which transport charged par

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