by Some astrophotographers know when they’ve captured an incredible shot, and Mark Johnston, who is also a NASA Solar System Ambassador, managed to capture such a photograph of the Sun from his backyard in Arizona. Johnston shared the image with The world of digital camerasand they are so detailed that they almost look computer generated.
It’s important to know that taking pictures of the Sun can be challenging. In fact, even looking at our solar system’s star through a camera lens can be extremely dangerous. So, taking detailed photos like those featured in Johnston’s portfolio requires the right equipment and a keen eye for detail.
We’re currently in the middle of what scientists call a solar maximum, which is when the Sun is at its most active. That means lots of sunspots and solar events like coronal mass ejections and solar flares. It also means plenty of opportunities to take great photos of the Sun.
The images Johnston has captured this time are nothing short of exceptional, with the Arizona landscape offering a clear view of the star our planet orbits. And because his particular location is in the Arizona mountains, he is able to peer into the atmosphere without having to exert as much effort.
This makes for some incredible shots, and it’s really hard to look at these photographs of the Sun without feeling like you’re looking at computer-generated promotional material. The amount of detail here is remarkable, and it certainly took a particularly powerful telescope to achieve this.
We’ve seen similarly detailed images of the Sun from other astrophotographers, and Johnston joins the ranks of those who have managed to capture our solar system’s central star in light we could not otherwise perceive. Ancient physicists could only have dreamed of seeing the Sun in such detail.
