Aditya-L1 and Proba-3 publish first joint study of solar CMEs
Why in the news
On October 16, 2026, ISRO announced the first joint study of the same solar eruptions by India’s Aditya-L1 and the European Space Agency’s Proba-3. The study measured the mass, density and energy of coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
Key facts
- Lead institution: Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru. The paper appeared in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
- VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph) on Aditya-L1 provided spectroscopy. ASPIICS on Proba-3 provided imaging.
- The two instruments look at a shared part of the low corona. Data from July to December 2025 were studied.
- VELC green-line data showed CME gas at about two million degrees.
- Magnetic energy was comparable to, or greater than, kinetic energy.
CMEs studied
| CME date | Speed | Energy finding |
|---|---|---|
| 14 September 2025 | About 645 km/s | Thermal energy only about 1% of total |
| 16 September 2025 | About 145 km/s | Thermal energy grew until it equalled kinetic energy |
About the missions
Aditya-L1, India’s solar observatory, was launched on 2 September 2023 from Sriharikota. It entered its orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point, about 1.5 million km from Earth, in January 2024. Proba-3 is an ESA demonstration mission for precise formation flying. It has two spacecraft, a Coronagraph Spacecraft and an Occulter Spacecraft. PSLV-C59 launched it on December 5, 2024.
Exam angle
- Match each payload to its mission: VELC goes with Aditya-L1, and ASPIICS goes with Proba-3.
- A CME is a large eruption of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun.
- Remember the lead institute: IIA, Bengaluru.