Active areas at the sun

Active areas on the Sun are regions with extremely strong magnetic fields, up to 1,000 times stronger than the Sun's average magnetic field. It is from these areas that solar storms, solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) most often emanate.

Sunspots: Dark, cooler areas in the photosphere where the magnetic field is extra concentrated. The number of sunspots follows a cycle of about 11 years. Plagues (bright areas): Bright, hot regions in the chromosphere surrounding sunspots. Solar flares: Sudden and intense energy discharges that send out radiation. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs): Huge clouds of plasma and magnetic fields that are thrown out from the Sun.

The picture shows AR4425 & 4428, taken through my telescope today.

AR4425

AR4425 (also known as 14425) is an active sunspot region currently located on the Earth-facing side of the Sun in late April and early May 2026. Here is the latest status of the region: Magnetic classification: It has recently been downgraded to a beta (β) configuration after losing its more complex "delta" structure, meaning its potential for powerful solar storms has decreased somewhat.

In recent days, AR4425 has been one of the more prominent regions, contributing to several C-class flares as well as occasional M-class (moderate) flares, including an M2.2 on April 26.

The region is currently moving across the northwestern quadrant of the Sun's disk. Although it has shown signs of decreasing complexity, it is still closely monitored by space weather services such as NOAA as it moves toward the edge of the Sun.

Photo taken through my back yard telescope 2026-05-01

Center of our galaxy

The center of our galaxy rises from the ocean late at night off the east coast of Sweden. The center of the Milky Way is the dense core of the galaxy, located about 25,000–28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. At its absolute center is the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (not visible in these photos, still under the sealine), which weighs about 4 million solar masses. The area is hidden behind thick space dust and is characterized by an extreme density of stars. 

The sun in Ha 2026-04-25

Today's sun with quite a lot of activity. On the western edge of the sun, prominences are seen, also activity from sunspot 4422 which is just over the edge on the eastern side. On the surface, sunspots 4420. 4421 and 4424 etc. are seen with flares which are seen as white areas, also filaments, seen as dark streaks.

Sunspots are temporary, dark and cooler areas on the sun's surface (the photosphere) caused by strong magnetic fields. They arise because the magnetic fields inhibit the flow of energy from within the sun, making these areas cooler than their surroundings. The spots are linked to the sun's activity and are the starting point for solar storms.

And otherwise, structures in the chromosphere are seen via my Ha solar filter.

Without special equipment, the chromosphere cannot normally be seen due to the overwhelming brightness from the photosphere, but it is clearly seen through bandpass filters set to the H-alpha spectral line.

Bedrock and night sky

1.9 billion-year-old bedrock, limestone, and marble. Limestone bedrock refers to bedrock that is dominated by limestone, a sedimentary rock that primarily consists of the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate). This type of bedrock creates unique conditions for both plant life and landscape forms. Limestone is a relatively soft and water-soluble rock. When acidic rainwater penetrates the soil, it dissolves the limestone, creating various types of cavities. 

The image at the bottom shows something called Boudinage. It is a geological structure that occurs when a relatively stiff (competent) rock is stretched and broken into smaller pieces within a more easily deformable surrounding. The result often resembles sausages lying in a row, which gave rise to the name (from the French boudin, meaning blood sausage).

In the sky, the colors of dusk can be seen, but the northern lights also emerge along with the Milky Way.

A beautiful view on the east coast with fluorescent water in blue and algae in red. In the sky, the Milky Way is seen in the Cygnus area with the large nebula NGC 7000. Low on the northern horizon, a faint aurora is also visible with nice colors and some pillars.

Folding pattern by the sea and Jupiter

Fluorescent limestone in red, calcite, in a folding pattern by the sea. Folding patterns in rocks are primarily created through plate tectonics, where the Earth's crust plates collide and compress the bedrock over millions of years. This process, called folding, occurs when rocks are subjected to enormous pressure and temperature conditions, causing them to bend and fold instead of cracking. 

In the sky, the planet Jupiter is seen next to the bright stars Castor and Pollux.

2,5 hours

2.5 hours captured on image. The Earth's extended axis ends up one degree from the North Star in the sky so with a longer exposure directed towards the North Star it looks as if the stars are spinning around it. The Vikings knew about this star and could navigate by it. During the exposure, some auroras were also formed low in the north.

Me and the Milky Way

Standing in dark conditions and making sure to get night vision with the Milky Way over the sea is a beautiful sight. Seeing the dust clouds of our galaxy the Milky Way visually is a fantastic experience. This picture was taken last Saturday night with myself standing on a cliff looking over the Baltic Sea.

Light pollution threatens the night sky and wildlife and all the satellites are also destroying the night sky. what will we see in the future when we look up at the starry sky? Will this view be gone? This week is International Dark Sky Week https://darksky.org/ check out the website and help to protect the night sky.

Cygnus nebulosity

The constellation Cygnus (The Swan) is extremely rich in nebulosity and gas clouds because it lies directly in the plane of the Milky Way. It is one of the most active regions of star formation and contains several known emission nebulae and supernova remnants.

Here are some of the most prominent nebulae in Cygnus:

The North America Nebula (NGC 7000): A large emission nebula resembling the North American continent, complete with a "Gulf of Mexico". It is located near the star Deneb.

The Pelican Nebula (IC 5070): Located right next to the North America Nebula and separated only by a dark dust cloud.

The Veil Nebula (Cygnus Loop / Veil Nebula): A gigantic supernova remnant formed by a massive star that exploded 10,000–20,000 years ago. It consists of several filaments (veils) that stretch across the sky.

Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888): An emission nebula created by stellar winds from a Wolf-Rayet star, located about 5,000 light-years away.

Butterfly Nebula (IC 1318): Located in the region around the star Sadr, in the center of the constellation.

Cygnus also contains the Cygnus Molecular Nebula Complex (Swan Complex), a huge cloud of gas and dust where new stars are being born. Because of all this nebulosity and dust, the region is a popular target for astrophotography.

Single exposure by the east coast of  Sweden

Solar Prominences

A solar prominence is a massive, bright feature extending outward from the Sun's surface into its outer atmosphere (the corona). 

They consist of relatively cool, dense plasma—primarily hydrogen and helium—held in place by tangled magnetic field lines.

When seen at the edge of the Sun against space, they appear as bright, glowing loops (often pinkish-red). When viewed against the bright solar disk, they look like dark, snake-like lines called filaments.

Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) taken from Sweden

Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) is currently (April 2026) a bright object in the sky approaching its absolute maximum. It is currently visible to the naked eye under dark conditions and will reach its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) on April 19, 2026.

The comet has reached a brightness (magnitude 3 to 4) that makes it visible without a telescope in places with little light pollution.

It is best seen in the morning sky just before dawn. It is currently located in the constellation Pegasus.

This is an extremely rare guest from the Oort cloud, having not visited the inner solar system in about 170,000 years.

Because it is a "hyperbolic" comet, scientists are unsure whether it will survive the intense heat of perihelion on April 19 or whether it will break apart.

The Sun

Solar filaments are enormous arcs of dense, ionized gas (plasma) that float above the surface of the Sun, held together by powerful and intricate magnetic fields. They are part of the Sun's dynamic atmosphere and are closely linked to the phenomenon of prominences.

1. What is the difference between a filament and a prominence?

They are essentially the same physical phenomenon, but the name comes from perspective:

Filament: When the structure is viewed from the front against the bright solar disk, it appears as dark, thread-like lines. This is because the plasma in the arc is slightly cooler (and therefore less luminous than the hot solar surface (photosphere) behind it).

Protuberance: When the structure is viewed at the edge of the Sun (limb) against the dark background of space, it appears as a bright, glowing arc extending from the solar surface.

2. Properties and Formation

Structure: Filaments form along magnetic "neutral lines" where regions of opposite magnetic polarity meet. They consist of fine threads that follow the magnetic field lines.

Size: They can be hundreds of thousands of kilometers long, which is often significantly larger than the Earth or even Jupiter.

Lifespan: Stable filaments can exist for anywhere from a few days to several months before either collapsing or breaking apart. Sun photographed 2026-04-11 Carpe Noctem Observatory.

 

Moon and Jupiter

A clear night in the Swedish mountains where the starry sky is free from light pollution. The bright planet Jupiter lies to the left of the moon this evening with the stars Castor and Pollux obliquely up to the left of Jupiter. Obliquely up to the right of the moon is the star Capella in the constellation Auriga. Below the moon and Jupiter is the constellation Orion with the bright star Sirius far down to the left. Around the moon are thin clouds that almost create a complete halo.

Fantastic Aurora display

A magical night in the Swedish mountains. It started as a green glow in the north that developed into an arc that then increased in strength and went higher in the sky, finally to the zenith with curving green waves of light. The green glow flashed across the entire sky as if the atmosphere was shaking.

The northern lights (aurora borealis) affect the Earth's atmosphere, mainly in the upper layers such as the thermosphere and the ionosphere. The phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere at the magnetic poles. Main effects of the northern lights on the atmosphere: Energy input and heating: The northern lights are the result of an enormous energy input from the solar wind to the atmosphere. This causes local heating in the upper layers of the atmosphere. Electric currents: In connection with the northern lights, strong electric currents arise in the atmosphere, so-called auroral electrojet streams. These currents can affect the Earth's magnetic field. Ionosphere disturbances: Aurora activity can affect the ionosphere (the part of the atmosphere that is ionized), which in turn can disrupt radio communications and satellite navigation. Faint moonlight via a fine crescent moon and bright planet Jupiter also visible.

Aurora Corona

When the northern lights are really strong, you might be lucky enough to see them at their zenith, overhead like a corona. The picture shows the beginning of a corona last week.

An aurora corona is a spectacular form of aurora that occurs when you are directly under the magnetic field lines.

It looks as if all the light rays are radiating from a single point high in the sky (the zenith).

Why? It's a perspective effect, just like when parallel train tracks appear to meet on the horizon. In reality, the aurora rays are parallel and follow the Earth's magnetic field, but from the ground they appear to form a "crown" (corona in Latin).

Cabin Aurora

A week's stay in the family's mountain cabin where the starry sky is very dark. One night the northern lights played fantastically beautifully and went high up in the sky above the cabin. The Big Dipper is seen in the middle of the picture, upside down. It almost forms a corona of the northern lights just above. Earlier in the evening I was able to witness a corona right in the zenith, pictures will come later.

 

Aurora Show in Stockholm

Last night, nature put on a fantastic spectacle! For being in the Stockholm area, this was really nice, even the northern lights at zenith. The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are a light phenomenon that occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with gas atoms in the Earth's atmosphere. It is mainly visible in the polar regions (such as northern Sweden, Norway and Iceland) between September and March, often as dancing green, purple or red lights at an altitude of 80–500 km.

Colors: Yellow-green is most common (oxygen at an altitude of 100–140 km). Red and violet tones also occur, depending on the type of atom that collides with the particles.

Shape: They can look like arches, curtains or rays dancing across the sky.

Origin: The northern lights are caused by geomagnetic storms that affect the Earth's magnetic field.

The dark spots you see on the moon are actually giant, solidified lava fields called maria. These were formed billions of years ago when huge amounts of liquid lava gushed out of the moon's interior and filled large craters after meteorite impacts.

Composition: The fields are mainly composed of basalt, a dark, iron-rich volcanic rock similar to that found on the ocean floor here on Earth.

Volcanic activity: It was long thought that volcanism on the moon died out billions of years ago, but new analyses of lunar samples suggest that there may have been active volcanoes as recently as 120 million years ago.

Lava tubes: Beneath the surface are hollow lava tunnels, or lava tubes. These giant caverns are considered ideal locations for future lunar bases because they protect against radiation and extreme temperatures.

Asymmetry: There are significantly more and larger lava fields on the side of the moon that faces Earth than on the far side, which is because the crust is thinner on the front side.

Worm Moon HDR

Today's full moon, called a worm moon, photographed with a telescope and several images stitched together into one image.

At a full moon, the sun illuminates the lunar surface directly from the front, which hides shadows and makes it more difficult to distinguish topographical details such as craters and mountain walls. The use of HDR photography (High Dynamic Range) and stacking (combining many images) is therefore crucial to highlight geological contrasts and mineral variations that are otherwise lost in the bright light.

Geological details at a full moon

Beam systems: At a full moon, bright beam systems appear most clearly, for example from the crater Copernicus. These consist of material (ejecta) that was thrown out during a meteorite impact.

Albedo and minerals: The contrast between the light, calcium-rich highlands (anorthosite) and the dark, iron-rich oceans (basaltic maria) becomes extremely clear. By saturating the colors in an HDR image (so-called "Mineral Moon"), chemical differences in the soil can be visualized.

Bright Craters: Craters with high albedo, such as Aristarchus, shine brightly and can even be seen with the naked eye.