The narrowband hydrogen-alpha filter used to take this image of the Sun enables us to peer into the chromosphere, the lower region of the solar atmosphere. The image is presented in a false colour palette, chosen both for its aesthetics and to highlight some of the features that show the dynamic and unpredictable nature of stars.

Flame-like prominences, made of huge arcs of plasma, can be seen erupting out from the chromosphere. They extend for thousands of miles and can last for months at a time.

When prominences are seen against the bright disc of the Sun they appear as dark snaking lines known as filaments. They sometimes have a bushy appearance and can be tracked across the face of the Sun as it rotates.

Sunspots are often found in groups and are planet sized regions characterised by an inky dark core, known as the umbra, and a lighter outer section, known as the penumbra. They are caused by disturbances in the Sun's magnetic field and appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding area.

Close to sunspots you can often find plages. These are areas of higher temperature that can be found in active regions and are also associated with magnetic field activity.

Visions of Our Local Star #7

Solstice to Solstice Solargraph 2023

The narrowband hydrogen-alpha filter used to take this image of the Sun enables us to peer into the chromosphere, the lower region of the solar atmosphere. The image has been inverted and is presented in a false colour palette, chosen both for its aesthetics and to highlight the features that show the dynamic and unpredictable nature of stars. 

Flame-like prominences, made of huge arcs of plasma, can be seen erupting out from the chromosphere. They extend for thousands of miles and can last for months at a time. 

When prominences are seen against the bright disc of the Sun they appear as snaking lines known as filaments. They sometimes have a bushy appearance and can be tracked across the face of the Sun as it rotates. Inverting the image helps to show the 3 dimensional nature of the filaments, rising away from the chromosphere.

Sunspots are planet sized regions characterised in inverted images by a bright central core, known as the umbra, and a darker outer section, known as the penumbra. They are caused by disturbances in the Sun's magnetic field and are cooler than their surroundings. 

Close to sunspots you can often find plages. These are areas of higher temperature, appearing dark in inverted images, that can be found in active regions.

Visions of Our Local Star #4

In this close up view of the eclipse, the Moon is about to devour a big prominence as it continues on its journey across the face of the Sun.  Looking closely at the edge of the Moon shows that it is not completely smooth due to its rugged terrain of mountains and craters.

This photograph was taken at 10:32 am from the UK, showing the Sun approximately 24 minutes into the eclipse.

The narrowband hydrogen-alpha filter used to take this image enables us to peer into the chromosphere, the lower region of the solar atmosphere. At this wavelength we can see many of the Sun's most interesting phenomena, including sunspots, prominences and filaments.

The image is presented in a false colour palette, chosen both for its aesthetics and to highlight some of the features that show the dynamic and unpredictable nature of stars.

Visions of Our Local Star #18

In this image an occulting circle has been added to mask the brilliant glare of the solar disc. This allows the faint wispy detail of the dancing prominences to be fully seen and appreciated. A scale image of the Earth has been added to show the planet engulfing size of these features.

Visions of Our Local Star #1

Visions of Our Local Star is a photographic exploration of the dramatic and ever-changing nature of our Sun. When we observe the Sun we gain a fascinating insight into the life of stars and the part that they play in shaping our Universe and all of the life within. 

42ordinarymice

42ordinarymice

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