Photographe captures firestorm on Sun 10 times the size of Earth

Between February 6 and 7, 2022, an enormous solar vortex, many times larger than our planet, formed 

The photographer recorded 692 unprocessed videos, each consisting of 900 frames. In total, he amassed 622,800 frames, amounting to 3 terabytes. About 22% (138,400 frames) of these were processed. The resulting time-lapse in 4K resolution comprises 692 video clips, each derived from the merging of the best 200 frames from each unprocessed video.

Claro meticulously described the size of the plasma loop, estimating it by analyzing pixels in the images. According to his calculations, the solar prominence exceeded the Earth's dimensions in height by a factor of 10 and extended thousands of kilometers around the visible boundary of the solar disk.

The photograph of the plasma loop was recognized in 2022 at the "Astronomy Photographer of the Year" international competition organized by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London, where it received an award in the "Our Sun" category.

This discovery not only showcases the magnitude and scale of cosmic phenomena but also underscores the significance of astronomical photography in their study. Observations of such phenomena enable scientists to gain deeper insights into the nature of solar activity and its impact on both space weather and our planet.