Captured on 23 May 2026 at 9:30 AM IST using a special solar telescope that reveals the Sun’s glowing hydrogen gas, this image shows the Sun’s dynamic outer atmosphere, a constantly changing layer shaped by intense magnetic activity. The bright active region AR 4441 visible near the upper left side of the Sun was one of the prominent solar regions present on that day. Surrounding it are glowing plages, dark filaments, and intricate fibril patterns tracing powerful magnetic fields across the solar surface.

The flame like structures rising from the edge of the Sun are known as solar prominences, gigantic arcs of hydrogen plasma suspended thousands of kilometres above the solar surface by magnetic forces. Some of the prominences visible here extend over 100,000 kilometres into space, making them several times larger than Earth itself.

Unlike the calm yellow Sun seen by our eyes, this specialised form of solar imaging reveals a restless and ever changing star filled with eruptions, magnetic storms, and flowing plasma.

EQUIPMENT USED:

Telescope: Skywatcher Heliostar 76Ha

Mount: Skywatcher Star Adventurer Gti

Imaging Camera: ZWO 174 MM

CAPTURE DETAILS

Exposure 1.64 milliseconds

Frames: Stacked 15% of 2000 frames

Gain: 200

Location: Jhinjhuwada, Gujarat

Captured on: 23rd May 2026

Image Acquisition: Sharpcap

Pre-processing:

Video stabilized in PIPP

Stacked in Autostakkert 4!

Wavelets Adjustments in imPPG

Post-processing: Photoshop