Best Solar Images - Part 1

Disc Mosaics

My solar imaging activities are coming to an end. I've spent 15 years happily watching the ever-changing solar chromosphere and capturing images with my solar telescope. Now is a good time to look back at some highlights and gather my best images together in one place. In this first post I'll present thirteen of my best solar disc mosaics. In four subsequent posts I'll present different examples of solar features and action.  

All images presented here were made with a Lunt 100mm single-stacked hydrogen-alpha solar telescope. Each image will indicate the camera and Barlow lens used. Single image fields of view were always too small to include the entire solar disc. I carefully covered the solar disc with overlapping single images called panels. Afterward I was able to stich these separate panels together into a single combined image using Photoshop.

The Sun's color seen by eye through the Lunt telescope's eyepiece is not yellow but rather a deep hydrogen-alpha red. The cameras I used are monochromatic cameras which produce only black and white images. I have arbitrarily added color to the original grayscale images below. These added colors have no physical significance. I merely liked them better than grayscale.

Finally, these images are best viewed at full size on a monitor, laptop screen, or projected on a TV. Smart phone viewing is a disappointing experience. Click on the images to get the full-size version.

This first image shows the Sun on July 4, 2014, when it had several sunspots and white active areas. This 22-panel mosaic was made with a DMK41AU02.AS camera and 2X Barlow lens. 

Next is a 36-panel mosaic made with a DMK41AU02.AS camera and 2X Barlow lens on December 1, 2014. This time I was able to display prominences around the limb.

Another nice image was produced on December 17, 2014. The following 16-panel mosaic shows lots of sunspot activity. It was made with a DMK41AU02.AS camera and 2X Barlow lens. Moving ahead to September 4, 2017, the next disc mosaic was constructed from 48 constituent panels made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 5X Barlow lens. 

Some dramatic dark filaments were present on July 12, 2022. They are seen in the following 12-panel mosaic made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 3X Barlow lens. 

Display the next image at full size and notice the eruptive activity of an emerging sunspot in the upper left limb! This 15-panel mosaic made with a ZWO ASI174 camera and 3X Barlow lens was made on July 11, 2023.

Prominences adorn the limb of the next 36-panel mosaic made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 3X Barlow lens on August 19, 2023. 

More prominences and a triple sunspot array were present on November 23, 2023. Below is a 37-panel mosaic made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 3X Barlow lens. 

The next 9-panel mosaic was made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 3X Barlow lens on July 28, 2024. There's a small bright white flare to the left of sunspots.

An interesting sunspot array was present on October 9th, 2024. The 9-panel mosaic below was made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 3X Barlow lens.

An impressive complex sunspot group can be seen in the lower left of the next 9-panel mosaic made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 3X Barlow lens on October 25, 2024.

View the next image at full size to see magnetic loops connect sunspot pairs. This 12-panel mosaic was made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 3X Barlow lens on January 17, 2025.

The full-size version of the next 9-panel mosaic shows a nice complex sunspot group in the lower left. It was made with a ZWO ASI174MM camera and 3X Barlow lens on August 27, 2025.

The solar chromosphere is magnificent! My next post will present floating filaments.