The longest continuous observations of the Sun taken fromKodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO)–one of the oldest astronomical observatories have been digitised and made available for community use. The digitised record of solar observations over more than 100 years taken on photographic plates/films can help scientists around the world strengthen their studies of solar variability and its impact on climate, spanning it over a longer time scale.

The data isavailable as open data that can benefit students and scientists across the world. This data will be a vital asset for the solar community for understanding the behaviour of the Sun in the past, over more than a century, and predicting the future of our life-giving star.