Solar Mission: Aditya-L1 Captures Selfie, Stunning Image Of Earth & Moon

New Delhi: The Vikram lander and Pragyan rover of Chandrayaan-3 mission have been put in sleep mode. It’s now the turn of Aditya-L1 to take centrestage.

Aditya-L1, India’s first solar observatory mission, was launched from Sriharikota last week. On Thursday, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared stunning images of Earth and the Moon taken from the spacecraft as it loops around the planet.

Aditya-L1 also shared a selfie.

“Onlooker! Aditya-L1, destined for the Sun-Earth L1 point, takes a selfie and images of the Earth and the Moon,” ISRO posted on X, along with selfie and images shot by the camera on board Aditya-L1.

Aditya-L1 Mission:
👀Onlooker!

Aditya-L1,
destined for the Sun-Earth L1 point,
takes a selfie and
images of the Earth and the Moon.#AdityaL1 pic.twitter.com/54KxrfYSwy

— ISRO (@isro) September 7, 2023

Since its launch on September 2, Aditya-L1 has completed two Earth-bound manoeuvres as it looks to leave the planet forever and reach Lagrange Point 1 (L1), nearly 1.5 million kilometres away.

The L1 point is a unique location in space where gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth are in equilibrium.

Aditya-L1 mission, which aims for a deeper understanding of the solar system, is carrying seven payloads designed to observe various aspects of the Sun, including its photosphere, chromosphere, and corona.

It will also measure variation in magnetic field strength at the halo orbit around L1.

The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), primary payload of Aditya-L1, is expected to send 1,440 images per day to the ground station for analysis.