American astrophotographer compiles hundreds of thousands of images to create a stunning photo of plasma jets ejected into space at speeds of approximately 161,000 km/h.
Andrew McCarthy, an astrophotographer based in Arizona, USA, captured an impressive image of plasma jets emitted from the Sun, extending more than 1.6 million kilometers from the surface of the star. This event was a coronal mass ejection (CME), directed away from Earth, as reported by Live Science on October 6.
Composite image showing a plasma jet approximately 1.6 million km long ejected from the Sun. (Image: Andrew McCarthy)
The eruption occurred on September 24 and was part of a G1-class solar storm, the weakest level on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Scale. This scale consists of five levels, with G1 being the weakest and G5 the strongest. G2 storms can impact electrical systems at high latitudes and affect the trajectory predictions of spacecraft.
The Earth typically experiences more than 2,000 G1 and G2 solar storms each decade. Stronger storms can have significant consequences. These storms increase atmospheric density in low Earth orbit areas where satellites operate, increasing drag that can cause them to fall out of orbit.
The plasma jet initially formed in a large loop connected to the Sun’s surface, known as a prominence, before erupting and shooting into space at speeds of about 161,000 km/h. McCarthy stated that the image was compiled from hundreds of thousands of photos taken over six hours. Approximately 30 to 80 individual images were captured each second, resulting in a file size of about 800 gigabytes. These images were then combined to display the CME in detail.
In the image, the Sun’s surface and the CME appear orange, but in reality, they do not look like that. The chromosphere (the lowest layer of the Sun’s atmosphere) and the CME emit a type of reddish-pink light visible to the human eye, known as hydrogen-alpha light or H-alpha. However, due to the short exposure time of each shot, the original images are nearly completely white. McCarthy processed them to produce the final composite image.
CMEs have been occurring more frequently in recent months as the Sun enters a period of heightened activity known as the solar maximum, which lasts about seven years. McCarthy noted that the plasma jets are also likely to increase in size.
McCarthy also warns people not to attempt to observe the Sun without proper equipment. “Do not point a regular telescope at the Sun. You will damage the camera or, worse, your eyes,” he said. McCarthy added that his telescope is specially modified with multiple filters to safely observe CMEs and capture images.
