India's Aditya-L1 decodes solar storm's unusual magnetic reconnection

• India's Aditya-L1 played a key role in decoding the unusual behavior of the strongest solar storm in over two decades (May 2024), named "Gannon's storm."
• Aditya-L1 collaborated with six US satellites, including NASA's Wind, providing precise magnetic field measurements to study the rare event from multiple vantage points.
• Scientists discovered magnetic reconnection within the storm, where the Sun's magnetic fields broke and rejoined, making the storm's impact much stronger.
• This magnetic reconnection occurred when two CMEs collided, and the area was enormous, about 1.3 million km across.
• The discovery, aided by Aditya-L1, enhances understanding of solar storm evolution and improves prediction capabilities, showcasing India's leadership in space science.

Why It Matters: Aditya-L1 improves solar storm prediction, safeguarding Earth's technology.