"Stunning Composite of 90,000 Images Reveals Sun's Fiery Surface"

Astrophotographers Andrew McCarthy and Jason Guenzel have created a stunning composite image of the sun using approximately 90,000 satellite photographs from NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. The image, called "Fusion of Helios," showcases the swirling surface of the sun and includes spicules and a massive tornado of plasma. The photographers used computer software to stitch the photos together and create a full mosaic of the sun, including the corona and chromosphere, which are normally visible only under certain conditions. Print copies of the image are available for purchase on the photographers' websites.