The Sun in Hydrogen-Alpha: Full Solar Disk 2026
Saturday, June 27th, 2026 at 10:13:03 PM · 2026/Astrophotography
This stunning hydrogen-alpha (Hα, 656.3 nm) image of the full solar disk was captured on 27 June 2026 from Walnut Creek, California, using a Lunt LS60 60mm Hα solar telescope paired with a ZWO ASI585MM monochrome camera. The chromosphere is rendered in exquisite detail, showcasing multiple active regions with dark sunspot umbrae and penumbrae, surrounded by bright plage regions indicating intense magnetic activity. A long, gracefully curved filament — a dense strand of cool plasma suspended in the corona — arcs across the solar disk, while delicate prominences erupt beyond the limb, including a notably large one near the upper edge. The image was produced from the best 1500 of 5773 captured frames using a custom Python lucky-imaging and 2× drizzle super-resolution pipeline, yielding exceptional sharpness and fine chromospheric texture across the entire disk. The warm golden-amber false color palette gives the image both scientific clarity and striking visual beauty.
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