VELC on board Aditya-L1 reveals asymmetric expansion of solar eruption that could impact space weather

Aditya-L1's VELC instrument revealed that a coronal mass ejection (CME) on 5 August 2024 expanded asymmetrically rather than symmetrically, impacting space weather predictions.

• The CME occurred on 5 August 2024 from an active region near the Sun's western limb.
• The study was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters and led by Saurabh Tripathi of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
• VELC observed the 530.3 nm green emission line of highly ionized iron at temperatures around 1.8 million Kelvin.
• A 3-D geometric-kinematic model by Jayant Joshi showed an inclined CME axis and asymmetric lateral expansion matched the observations.
• This asymmetry affects the CME's speed, drag, and arrival time at Earth.