Bengaluru scientists pair Aditya-L1 and Proba-3 data to track solar eruptions

Two solar eruptions recorded on September 14 and 16, 2025 have given Bengaluru researchers a closer look at how coronal mass ejections develop near the Sun.

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics combined observations from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph aboard Aditya-L1 and the ASPIICS coronagraph on the European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission. Their study, published in *Astronomy & Astrophysics*, measured the eruptions’ mass, density and energy.

The September 14 eruption travelled at about 645 km per second, while the September 16 event moved at about 145 km per second. The slower eruption’s density fell more sharply with height, indicating stronger expansion at an early stage.

ISRO said the missions’ overlapping view of the low solar corona allowed researchers to cross-check their measurements using different methods. Only these two coronal mass ejections were captured simultaneously by both instruments between July and December 2025.

Coronal mass ejections send magnetised plasma into space and can disrupt satellites and other space-based systems when directed towards Earth. Proba-3’s two spacecraft fly about 150 metres apart to create an artificial solar eclipse for observations of the corona.