CHAPTER 4

ALL ABOUT SUN

The sun emits radiation/light in nearly all wavelengths along with various energetic particles
and magnetic field. The atmosphere of the Earth as well as its magnetic field acts as a
protective shield and blocks a number of harmful wavelength radiations including particles and
fields. As various radiations don’t reach the surface of the Earth, the instruments from the Earth
will not be able to detect such radiation and solar studies based on these radiations could not
be carried out. However, such studies can be carried out by making observations from outside
the Earth atmosphere i.e., from space. Similarly, to understand how the solar wind particles and
magnetic field from the Sun WHY STUDY SUN FROM SPACE? travel through the interplanetary
space, measurements are to be performed from a point which is far away from the influence of
the Earth’s magnetic field.
The Sun's gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything – from the biggest
planets to the smallest particles of debris – in its orbit. The connection and interactions
between the Sun and Earth drive the seasons, ocean currents, weather, climate, radiation belts
and auroras. Though it is special to us, there are billions of stars like our Sun scattered across
the Milky Way galaxy.
The Sun has many names in many cultures. The Latin word for Sun is “sol,” which is the main
adjective for all things Sun-related: solar. The sun is an ordinary star, one of about 100 billion in
our galaxy, the Milky Way. The sun has extremely important influences on our planet: It drives
weather, ocean currents, seasons, and climate, and makes plant life possible
through photosynthesis. Without the sun’s heat and light, life on Earth would not exist.

About 4.5 billion years ago, the sun began to take shape from a molecular cloud that was
mainly composed of hydrogen and helium. A nearby supernova emitted a shockwave, which
came in contact with the molecular cloud and energized it. The molecular cloud began
to compress, and some regions of gas collapsed under their own gravitational pull. As one of
these regions collapsed, it also began to rotate and heat up from increasing pressure. Much of
the hydrogen and helium remained in the center of this hot, rotating mass. Eventually, the
gases heated up enough to begin nuclear fusion, and became the sun in our solar system.
Other parts of the molecular cloud cooled into a disc around the brand-new sun and became
planets, asteroids, comets, and other bodies in our solar system.

The sun is about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) from Earth. This distance, called
an astronomical unit (AU), is a standard measure of distance for astronomers and
astrophysicists.

An AU can be measured at light speed, or the time it takes for a photon of light to travel from
the sun to Earth. It takes light about eight minutes and 19 seconds to reach Earth from the sun.

The radius of the sun, or the distance from the very center to the outer limits, is about 700,000
kilometers (432,000 miles). That distance is about 109 times the size of Earth’s radius. The sun
not only has a much larger radius than Earth—it is also much more massive. The sun’s mass is
more than 333,000 times that of Earth, and contains about 99.8 percent of all of the mass in the
entire solar system!

Composition
The sun is made up of a blazing combination of gases. These gases are actually in the form
of plasma. Plasma is a state of matter similar to gas, but with most of the particles ionized. This
means the particles have an increased or reduced number of electrons.

About three quarters of the sun is hydrogen, which is constantly fusing together and creating
helium by a process called nuclear fusion. Helium makes up almost the entire remaining
quarter. A very small percentage (1.69 percent) of the sun’s mass is made up of other gases and
metals: iron, nickel, oxygen, silicon, sulfur, magnesium, carbon, neon, calcium, and chromium
This 1.69 percent may seem insignificant, but its mass is still 5,628 times the mass of Earth.

The sun is not a solid mass. It does not have the easily identifiable boundaries of rocky planets
like Earth. Instead, the sun is composed of layers made up almost entirely of hydrogen and
helium. These gases carry out different functions in each layer, and the sun’s layers are
measured by their percentage of the sun’s total radius.
 CHAPTER 5
LAGRANGE POINTS

For a two body gravitational system, the Lagrange Points are the postions in space where a
small object tends to stay, if put there. These points in space for a two body systems such as
Sun and Earth can be used by spacecraft to remain at these positions with reduced fuel
consumption. Technically at Lagrange point, the gravitational pull of the two large bodies
equals the necessary centripetal force required for a small object to move with them. For two
body gravitational systems, there are total five Lagrange points denoted as L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5.
The Lagrange points for Sun-Earth system are shown in the figure. The Lagrange point L1 lies
between Sun-Earth line. The distance of L1 from Earth is approximately 1% of the Earth-Sun
distance

Fig 1 : Illustration of Lagrange points of the Sun-Earth system

There are five Lagrange points in a two-body system like the Earth-Sun or Earth-Moon system,
denoted L1 through L5. The positions of these points are as follows:

L1 (Lagrange Point 1): This point lies along the line defined by the two large bodies and is
located on the side of the smaller of the two bodies. For example, the Earth-Sun L1 point is
located on the line formed by the Earth and the Sun but on the side of the Earth facing away
from the Sun. L1 is often used for space telescopes and solar observatories because from this
vantage point, the telescope can maintain a constant view of the Sun without being blocked by
the Earth.

L2 (Lagrange Point 2): This point is also located along the line defined by the two large bodies
but on the opposite side of the smaller body. The Earth-Sun L2 point, for instance, is situated on
the line formed by the Earth and the Sun but on the side of the Earth facing away from the Sun.
L2 is often utilized for space observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, because
it allows for an unobstructed view of distant celestial objects.

L3 (Lagrange Point 3): This point is opposite L1, lying on the line defined by the two large
bodies but on the side of the larger body. However, L3 is not commonly used because it is
dynamically unstable.

L4 and L5 (Lagrange Points 4 and 5): These points form an equilateral triangle with the two
large bodies, with the smaller body at the third vertex. The Earth and Moon, for example, have
L4 and L5 points in their orbit. These points are stable over the long term and are sometimes
referred to as Trojan points. The most well-known example of these points is the grouping of
asteroids known as the "Jupiter Trojans" that occupy the L4 and L5 points of Jupiter's orbit.

Lagrange points are useful in space exploration and satellite deployment because objects
placed at these points can maintain a relatively constant position relative to the two larger
bodies, making them ideal for certain types of observations and missions.

Applications of Lagrange Points

Lagrange points have practical applications in space exploration, satellite deployment, and
observational astronomy. The stability of these points allows spacecraft to maintain a relatively
fixed position relative to the larger celestial bodies, making them advantageous for various
missions.

Observatories and Telescopes: L1 and L2 are popular locations for space telescopes and
observatories. Instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope and the upcoming James Webb
Space Telescope utilize these points to observe celestial objects with minimal interference from
the Earth's atmosphere.

Communication Satellites: Placing communication satellites at Lagrange points can enhance

their efficiency. For example, satellites at L1 can maintain constant communication
 CHAPTER 6
ADITYA-L1 TRAJECTORY TO L1

Fig 2: Aditya-L1 trajectory from Earth to L1.

The Aditya-L1 mission will be launched by ISRO PSLV rocket from Sathish Dhawan Space Centre
SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota. Initially the spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit.
Subsequently, the orbit will be made more elliptical and later the spacecraft will be launched
towards the Lagrange point L1 by using on-board propulsion. As the spacecraft travels towards
L1, it will exit the earths’ gravitational Sphere of Influence (SOI). After exit from SOI, the cruise
phase will start and subsequently the spacecraft will be injected into a large halo orbit around
L1. The total travel time from launch to L1 would take about four months for Aditya-L1. The
trajectory of Aditya-L1 mission is shown in the figure above.