New Delhi: Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has captured an image of the Sun that is said to be the "clearest ever photo" of the star. The image has feather-like patterns visible on the Sun.
McCarthy captured around 1,50,000 images of the Sun with a modified telescope, and combined them to produce the incredibly detailed picture.
He posted the image on his Instagram handle.
"A detailed look at our star. Swipe to move in closer. Yesterday I captured around 150,000 images of the sun with extreme magnificent using a modified telescope. Combined, those photos allowed me to see the sun in incredible detail. In fact, this image is 300 megapixels," McCarthy posted.
What Causes The Feather-like Patterns
Explaining the reason behind those patterns, McCarthy wrote on his patreon that our star is a chaotic ball of plasma, and that planet-sized streams of plasma snake up from the surface. He wrote that looming prominences and filaments are also present on the Sun. Blinding bursts of energy stem from areas of heightened magnetic activity, which push and pull on the solar surface, create fascinating patterns in the atmosphere, he explained.
McCarthy wrote that the image is designed to look incredible at any size, and that the details on the solar surface show exactly how the Sun looked at 2 pm MST, on November 29, from the vantage point of his backyard.
While the image he posted is of a low resolution, his post said the full-size image titled 'Fire and Fusion', printed on metal or archival rag paper, was available for sale on his patreon account. Digital downloads were available for a limited time.