Hydrogen Alpha Solar Images - February 14, 2026

[Philip Whitebloom]

Saturday, February 14th we finally had a beautiful day for solar astronomy. The sky was clear and very steady, and it was over 50 degrees outside.

Even better, the Sun was very active. The visual observing was fantastic. Below are links to the images. I hope you enjoy them.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwastro/55107225373/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwastro/55106170257/in/dateposted-public/

Here is a description of what you are seeing. There is an individual more detailed description for each when you view the images on Flickr.

Our Sun — February 14, 2026 (Hα Observations)

These two images show the Sun in Hα (Hydrogen Alpha), capturing both a full-disk view and a detailed close-up of a magnetically active region from the same observing session.

The full-disk image reveals the Sun’s chromosphere as a highly structured and dynamic layer shaped by magnetic forces. Dark filaments arc across the solar disk, representing cooler, denser plasma suspended above the surface along magnetic field lines. Bright plage regions mark areas of concentrated magnetic activity, while prominences can be seen extending off the solar limb, reaching tens of thousands of miles into space.

The close-up image focuses on a smaller region of the chromosphere, where the fine-scale structure becomes more apparent. At higher magnification, the chromosphere resolves into intertwined filaments, curved magnetic lanes, and subtle brightness variations that trace the geometry of the Sun’s magnetic field. This view highlights how even a small portion of the solar surface contains immense complexity and constant motion.

Both images were captured using a 60 mm Lunt Hydrogen Alpha solar telescope in a double-stack configuration, with a 2× Barlow to increase image scale. A ZWO ASI294MC Pro camera was used for capture with SharpCap, and the best 25% of frames from each sequence were stacked using AutoStakkert. Final processing was completed in Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop, with an emphasis on preserving natural chromospheric structure rather than over-enhancement.

The observations were made from Laurel, Maryland, and together the images provide a complementary note: one showing global solar context and scale, the other revealing the intricate magnetic detail that drives solar activity across the entire disk.

Clear Skies!

Phil

[Ian Slepian]

Nice images, Phil! 

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