Astronomical photographer Andrew McCarthy has shared what he calls the “sharpest image of the Sun ever taken.”
Andrew McCarthy combined 150,000 individual photographs of the Sun to capture the stunning details of the largest star in the Solar System. The result is a colossal 300-megapixel image, which is over 30 times larger than a standard 10-megapixel camera image.
In the closest view, the naked eye can observe swirling patterns and feather-like textures, along with mysterious sunspots.
The process of capturing these images was quite challenging and required a specialized telescope with two filters to prevent fire hazards and protect the photographer’s eyes.
“It was only after processing the image that I truly saw what it looked like. This is a very special photograph. I have always been fascinated by photographing the Sun; it is really interesting because it is always different,” Andrew said.
“To achieve maximum magnification, I used a modified telescope. Combining multiple images allowed me to see the Sun in astonishing detail,” photographer Andrew added.
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It has a diameter of 1.39 million kilometers and a mass that is 330,000 times that of Earth. Three-quarters of the Sun is composed of hydrogen, followed by helium, oxygen, carbon, neon, and iron.
