PIB TrackerThe Sun's atmosphere spins faster than its surface
Indian scientists found that the Sun's outer atmosphere rotates faster than its visible surface — and speeds up with height — a result that defies classical expectations and will sharpen models of solar activity and space weather.
What happened
- The Sun's outer atmosphere rotates faster than its visible surface.
- Rotation speed increases with height above the surface.
- This challenges expectations from the conservation of angular momentum.
- Earth's atmosphere generally follows the classical rule; the Sun's does not.
- It will refine models of solar activity and space weather affecting satellites, navigation and power grids.
For Prelims
- The finding: the Sun's upper atmosphere rotates faster than the surface, and speeds up with height.
- Conservation of angular momentum: the 'ice-skater' principle — pulling mass inward speeds rotation; the solar atmosphere defies the simple expectation.
- Photosphere: the Sun's visible surface; above it lie the chromosphere and corona.
- Differential rotation: the Sun rotates faster at the equator than at the poles (it is not solid).
- Space weather: solar storms/CMEs that disrupt satellites, communications, navigation (NavIC/GPS) and power grids.
- Indian solar capability: Aditya-L1 at the Sun-Earth L1 point and the Himalayan Chandra Telescope at Hanle.
For UPSC: A space-science item with a practical edge. Use it for solar physics and space weather, the vulnerability of satellites, navigation and power grids to solar storms, and India's solar-observation capability (Aditya-L1, ground telescopes).
What it is NOT: This is a finding about the Sun's atmospheric rotation — not a discovery about solar storms themselves, and it refines rather than overturns solar physics.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS3.13 · GS3.15 · Linkage L1
Anchor
The Sun breaks the ice-skater rule — its atmosphere spins faster the higher you look.
Substantiation (data)
Rotation of the solar atmosphere exceeds that of the visible surface and rises with height, contrary to simple angular-momentum expectations.
Exemplification
Refined solar-rotation models feed space-weather forecasting that protects satellites, NavIC/GPS signals and power grids.
Problematisation
Space-weather prediction remains immature, while dependence on satellites and grids keeps rising.
Way-forward
Strengthen solar observation (Aditya-L1, ground telescopes) and build operational space-weather forecasting for critical infrastructure.
Position
Basic science on the Sun is applied infrastructure protection for a satellite-dependent economy.
Deploys into: Space science + disaster management (GS3.13, GS3.15) · solar physics and space weather, satellite and grid vulnerability, and India's solar-observation capability.
Ministry of Science & Technology · 2026-07-30 · PRID 2291788 · PIB source ↗