The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument on board the Aditya-L1 spacecraft has successfully captured the first full-disk images of the Sun, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced.
The SUIT payload captured full-disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths.
“On November 20, 2023, the SUIT payload was powered on. Following a successful pre-commissioning phase, the telescope captured its first light science images on December 6, 2023”, the ISRO said in a statement on Friday.
“These unprecedented images, taken using eleven different filters, include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm, excluding Ca II h. The full disk images of the Sun in the Ca II h wavelength have been studied from other observatories”, it added.
SUIT observations will help scientists study the dynamic coupling of the magnetized solar atmosphere and assist them in placing tight constraints on the effects of solar radiation on Earth’s climate, the space agency said.
Launched on September 2, 2023, the Aditya L1 is positioned in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, approximately 15 lakh km from Earth, offering an opportunity to observe the Sun and other solar activities without interruption.