Despite its flawless operation since launch, ISRO’s solar probe Aditya L1 will miss today’s total solar eclipse.
Today, April 8, a rare astronomical phenomenon, a total solar eclipse, will grace parts of North America. During this event, the Moon will be perfectly aligned between the Sun and Earth, resulting in complete darkness. Unsurprisingly, India’s Aditya L1 mission, dedicated to studying the Sun, will be unable to observe this unique phenomenon, despite continuous monitoring of the star with its six onboard instruments.
The reason for Aditya L1’s absence from this lens is not a technical glitch or operational error, but its orbital configuration. Located in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1), located 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, where the gravitational forces of the Earth and the Sun are balanced, Aditya L1 finds itself positioned in such a way that the Moon trails behind it. All the time.
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“Since the Moon is behind the spacecraft at Lagrange Point 1 (L1 point), the eclipse as seen on Earth does not have much significance at that location,” ISRO Chairman S Somnath told NDTV. Will not be able to see the eclipse.” ,
This strategic position provides Aditya L1 with an uninterrupted view of the Sun 24/7, 365 days a year. While this ensures continued solar observations, it also means the probe will miss experiencing the total solar eclipse tonight.
Although India will not be fortunate enough to witness the total solar eclipse, viewers around the world can watch live streams of the event on various platforms including YouTube and social media. For example, NASA will start live streaming of the eclipse at 10:30 pm IST on its social media channels.
Why total solar eclipse not be seen everywhere on the Earth?
A total solar eclipse cannot be seen everywhere on Earth because it occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the Sun’s light. However, the area on Earth where a total eclipse is visible is relatively small due to the position of the Sun and Moon and the Earth’s rotation.
Only people within the narrow path of totality will experience a total eclipse, while others outside this path will see only a partial eclipse or no eclipse at all. This is due to the angle at which the Sun’s rays intersect with Earth and the specific alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth during an eclipse.
Why won’t it be visible in India?
Monday’s solar eclipse will not be visible in India. The visibility of an eclipse varies due to the Earth’s rotation and the Moon’s elliptical orbit. This means that only specific areas fall into the path of totality, where the Sun is completely obscured.
Can we see the solar eclipse with our eyes?
Looking directly at the Sun during an eclipse or at any other time can cause damage to the retina and eyes, leading to irreversible blindness or partial vision loss.
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