“These observations will help scientists study the dynamic coupling of the magnetised solar atmosphere and assist them in placing tight constraints on the effects of solar radiation on Earth’s climate,” Isro said.
SUIT captures images of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere in this wavelength range using various scientific filters. “SUIT was powered ON on November 20. Following a successful pre-commissioning phase, the telescope captured its first light science images on December 6,” Isro added.
Terming the images “unprecedented”, the space agency said they were taken using eleven different filters. “The images include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm, excluding Ca II h (relating to chromospheric emission), which has been studied from other observatories,” Isro said.
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Among the notable features revealed are sunspots, plage, and quiet Sun regions, providing scientists with pioneering insights into the intricate details of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere.
The development of SUIT involved a collaborative effort under the leadership of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. This collaboration included 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 (IIA) Bengaluru, the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO-PRL), and Tezpur University Assam.
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