The photo widely shared on various Facebook pages with the description “clearest image of the Sun,” attributed to NASA, actually belongs to an American photographer.
Recently, many Facebook pages have posted images claimed to be the “clearest image of the Sun”, allegedly captured and shared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). However, according to India Today, this image is actually a modified one taken by an astrophotographer named Jason Guenzel.
On several Facebook pages, the image of the Sun has garnered over 10,000 likes and hundreds of shares. A search on the online art store Fine Art America reveals that the photo was posted by Guenzel on January 16, 2021, titled “Magnetic Sun.”
The “clearest image of the Sun” attributed to NASA actually belongs to astrophotographer Jason Guenzel. (Photo: The Vast Reaches).
“This image highlights the chaotic magnetic field on the visible surface of the Sun,” Guenzel described. In the introduction, this photographer, who resides in Michigan, USA, elaborated further.
On his personal Twitter page, Guenzel shared a similar image on January 13, 2021. The description included a note that the photo “was heavily processed by software… showcasing the complex nature of the Sun’s magnetic field.”
Guenzel asserts he is the original creator of the photo.
“Walking the fine line between science and art,” the end of the post stated. This indicates that the image was artistically modified after being taken.
Below the post, some individuals shared the story of the image being incorrectly credited as “taken by NASA.” Responding to this, Guenzel confirmed that he is indeed the creator of the original photo.
“This is a processed product based on images captured by the solar telescope behind my house,” Guenzel wrote.
NASA’s photo collection does not include images of the Sun with similar details. In February 2021, Guenzel expressed concern on Facebook when his image of the Sun was attributed to NASA by many pages.
“My photo ‘Magnetic Sun,’ taken of the Sun a few weeks ago, has been shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit over the past few days. In most posts, it is not credited correctly and is attributed to NASA’s images. If you see them, please help remind them in the comments. Thank you,” Guenzel stated.
