{"id":262797,"date":"2025-11-14T17:16:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T17:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/262797\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T17:16:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T17:16:09","slug":"this-mind-blowing-photo-shows-a-skydiver-transiting-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/262797\/","title":{"rendered":"This Mind-Blowing Photo Shows a Skydiver Transiting the Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>Skydiver Gabriel C. Brown silhouetted against the Sun\u2019s chromosphere. <\/p>\n

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has captured a stupendous shot of a skydiver falling in front of the Sun. It was incredibly difficult \u2014 requiring precise planning and coordination \u2014 but the pair ultimately pulled it off on the sixth attempt. <\/p>\n

Gabriel C. Brown is the skydiver in the photo; McCarthy\u2019s friend and a popular YouTuber. \u201cWe had to find the right location, time, aircraft, and distance for the clearest shot; while factoring in the aircraft\u2019s power-off glideslope for the optimal sun angle and safe exit altitude,\u201d Brown explains on his Instagram page.<\/a> \u201cThen we had to align the shot using the opposition effect from the aircraft and coordinate the exact moment of the jump on three-way comms!\u201d <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u2018The Fall of Icarus\u2019 <\/p>\n

McCarthy set up his array of telescopes in the Arizona desert and monitored the live feed while Brown hitched a ride on a light aircraft. Once McCarthy had located him, he told Brown to jump on the radio. The video of that moment is spectacular, and the finished photo is even better.<\/p>\n

The moment of the jump, captured in hydrogen alpha light to resolve the sun\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n

We decided to release the photo in print- both as an up close shot and showing the full disc of the sun, which you can see here: https:\/\/t.co\/K4DovGV4ni<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/hYHg7rZXdK<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy) November 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Part of the reason the photo is so special is that McCarthy captured free-falling Brown silhouetted against the Sun\u2019s chromosphere. To bring out that incredible light, McCarthy captures the star in hydrogen-alpha light, which reveals its fiery details that cannot be seen in normal white light.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt exceeded my expectations,\u201d McCarthy says in an Instagram video<\/a> while explaining that, after he captured the shot of Brown, he then made the image \u201csuper high-res\u201d by shooting the Sun on another telescope and \u201cassembled a mosaic of the entire Sun\u201d, which he later matched with the features in Brown\u2019s photo. <\/p>\n

McCarthy shared a video showing the moment he told Brown to leap, the moment the photo was captured, and then the subsequent reaction of McCarthy and the team that was there with him in the desert. \u201cI got it, dude!\u201d McCarthy shouts excitedly in the video below. <\/p>\n

The moment I captured something incredible on Saturday. These reactions were completely unscripted, just the sheer awe of the moment. I still can\u2019t believe it\u2019s real<\/p>\n

See what I\u2019m reacting to tomorrow morning- I\u2019ll send email subscribers the first look. Signup link in the reply! pic.twitter.com\/03gpuxixRu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy) November 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

McCarthy calls his creation The Fall of Icarus, a nod to the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology who famously flew too close to the sun on wings made of feathers and wax. McCarthy has made it a limited edition print available from his website.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>Andrew McCarthy and Gabriel C. Brown.<\/p>\n

McCarthy has been making a habit of capturing objects silhouetted against the Sun\u2019s chromosphere: in September he caught a rocket blasting off<\/a> in front of the solar disk. <\/p>\n

More of McCarthy\u2019s work can be found on his Instagram<\/a>, X<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and website<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Image credits: All photos by Andrew McCarthy. <\/p>\n