Arizona Backyard Astronomer Captures 'Godzilla' on the Sun

Mark Johnston looks up at the sun from his Scottsdale backyard every clear morning, hunting for cosmic wonders most people never see.

On May 31, he captured something extraordinary. A colossal cloud of glowing plasma loomed above the sun's surface like a monstrous figure stalking the edge of our star.

Johnston uses a specialized telescope with a hydrogen-alpha filter that reveals features invisible to the naked eye. The 25-second video compresses about two hours of solar activity into a mesmerizing dance of superheated gas.

These towering structures are called solar prominences. They're made of plasma so hot it glows, suspended by the sun's powerful magnetic fields.

"The movement you see may look like wind effects, but it's mostly caused by magnetic fields and, to a lesser extent, gravity," Johnston explained. The hydrogen is ionized, meaning magnetic forces pull it along invisible field lines like a puppet on strings.

An earlier video from May 22 shows another prominence releasing streams of material that rain back down toward the sun's surface. Both clips reveal the dynamic, ever-changing nature of our closest star.

Johnston wants people to understand what they're really seeing. "It's not flame. There's no fire on the Sun," he said. "Just as your stove can glow red-hot and not be on fire, the hydrogen on the Sun is so hot it glows too."

The same structures appear as dark ribbons when viewed against the bright solar surface. Scientists call them filaments in this context because they're cooler and denser than their surroundings.

Why This Inspires

Johnston's dedication shows what's possible when curiosity meets consistency. Every clear morning, he points his telescope skyward, searching for moments of cosmic beauty to share with the world.

His work reminds us that spectacular discoveries don't always require billion-dollar space missions. Sometimes they happen in a backyard in Arizona, captured by someone who simply refused to stop looking up.

Johnston recently published "The Solar Observer's Handbook" to help others explore the sun safely. His message is clear: anyone with the right equipment and patience can witness these cosmic marvels.

The sun performs its magnetic ballet every day, and now more people can watch the show.

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