A Closer Look at the Solar Surface

Aug 16, 2026

This image was captured on August 16, 2026, at around 5:45 in the morning from Ágasvár, under exceptionally steady atmospheric conditions. The composition shows the full solar disk together with magnified views of Active Regions AR 4506, AR 4507 and AR 4508.

In addition to the dark umbrae and finer penumbral structures of the sunspots, the granulation of the photosphere is clearly visible. Near the solar limb, shown at the bottom of the image, a delicate bright, vein-like texture can also be seen, emphasizing the fine structure of the photosphere.

This morning was especially memorable for me because the sunspot details and surface structures were already remarkably clear in the live view. The unusually stable atmosphere made it possible to see fine solar detail even before the final processing.

The active regions shown in this image can be verified on the SolarMonitor website, which provides near real-time and archived observations of the Sun, including NOAA active region numbering, magnetograms, solar imagery and other valuable space weather information.

Imaging equipment

  • Telescope

    GSO 200/800 F4 Carbon Photo Newton

  • Mount

    ZWO AM7

  • Camera

    ZWO Asi662MM

  • Accessories

    MiniPC with SharpCap

  • Filters

    Baader Solar Continuum

  • Exposures

    Solar disk: 8-panel mosaic, best 75 frames per panel • Gain 150 • 750 µs
    Sunspots: best 75 frames • Gain 300 • 2.5 ms