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A new study has accurately estimated the physical parameters of thermal and magnetic field structures of solar coronal holes which have significant influence on space weather. They found that there is no latitudinal variation of temperature structure of coronal holes, suggesting that coronal holes are likely to originate from the deep interior, and also that there is a latitudinal variation of strength of magnetic field structure of coronal holes that increases from the solar equator to the pole suggesting that coronal holes might have formed from the superposition of Alfven wave perturbations.

This is based on the paper titled "Thermal and magnetic field structure of near-equatorial coronal holes", by Hegde, M. and K.M. Hiremath, 688, A35, 2024, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 279, 7.

Press release by PIB published here.

Press release issued by DST here.

Download the paper from here.

More than 200 solar physicists from India and abroad have come together in Bengaluru this week for an international conference on “Sun, Space Weather, and Solar-Stellar Connections”. The conference is being organised by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory and the birth of solar astrophysics in the country (conference webpage)

Download the PIB press release from here.

A study led by astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics has detected the Fe K spectral lines of ionized Iron atoms from the well-known binary Active Galactic Nucleus system 4C+37.11 using data from the Chandra Space Telescope. This is the first such detection from a binary black hole system, and they were able to conclude that this emission arises from both the accretion disk and the collisionally ionized plasma surrounding the pair of supermassive black holes in this object.

This is based on the recently published paper titled "Detection of the Fe K lines from the binary AGN in 4C+37.11", by Mondal et al, 2024, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 279, 7.

Press release by PIB published here.

Press release issued by DST here.

Download the paper from here.

When astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and their collaborators looked carefully at the galaxy NGC 3785, they found that not only does it have the longest tidal tail discovered so far, but that an ultra-diffuse galaxy is currently being formed at the end of this tidal tail as well. 

This is based on the recently published paper titled "A Tale of NGC 3785: The formation of an ultra-diffuse galaxy at the end of the longest tidal tail", by Watts et al, 2024, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 691, L13.

Press release by PIB published here.

Press release issued by DST here.

Download the paper from here.

The Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle, Ladakh celebrated the first day of the year 2025 by witnessing an aurorae yet again. An energetic CME that left the Sun on 29th December 2024 caused an intense geomagnetic storm on 1st January 2025. The aurora that resulted from this storm was captured as a video by the all-sky camera at Hanle. The low frequency radio emission from the CME was also observed and imaged at Gauribidanur Radio Observatory (GRO), and the Active Region behind this storm was imaged at Kodaikanal Solar Observatory. All three observatories are operated by IIA.

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding today with the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department of the Government of Karnataka to promote astronomy through the 5880 Arivu Kendras across the state.

Careful modelling of the thermal and ionization structure of a notable Planetary Nebula PN IC 2003, enabled astronomers from IIA to explain the observed multi-wavelength data much better than was possible by earlier researchers. IC 2003 is one of those rare Planetary Nebulae which has a hydrogen-deficient central remnant star of Wolf Rayet type. The astronomers used data from the Vainu Bappu Telescope in Kavalur, Tamil Nadu, which is operated by IIA, as well as data from other space telescopes.

This is based on the recently published paper titled "Photo-ionization structures of Planetary Nebula IC 2003 with [WR] central star", by Khushbu K. and C. Muthumariappan 2024, Advances in Space Research, 74, 3.

Press release by PIB published here.

Press release issued by DST here.

Download the paper from here.

Using Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT/AstroSat) data of the Andromeda Galaxy from the public archives, astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru have discovered ultraviolet emission from 42 novae, a special class of stellar explosions, and even caught 4 of them in the act of outburst itself. They could then study these interacting binary star systems in our nearest neighbor galaxy at different phases of their life, some piling up matter from their companion, while others spewing it into space.

Press release by PIB published here.

Press release issued by DST here.

Download the paper from here and here.

The paper was highlighted by Nature India as well.

For an extraordinary fourth time during the current solar cycle, intense red coloured auroral activity was seen from Ladakh, India, and was photographed by astronomers of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) from Hanle, Leh, and Merak on the night of 10-11 October 2024. The aurora was captured by the all-sky cameras at Hanle and Merak throughout the night. The bright red emission in the northern sky was seen easily with the unaided eye and the Observatory staff photographed it with their cameras as well.

Expert astro-photographers and amateur astronomers came together at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve between 29 September to 4 October 2024, for the second Star Party.

The unique event was organised by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with Department of Wildlife Protection of UT Ladakh, and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and was attended by more than 45 astronomy enthusiasts from across the country. Hanle and the surrounding region are host to some of the darkest night skies in India. Hence, the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR), centred around the Indian Astronomical Observatory, was notified by the Govt. of Ladakh in December 2022, and since then, it has been a major attraction for astro-tourism from across the country.