Overview
- Arizona astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy photographed skydiver Gabriel C. Brown transiting the Sun, producing a silhouetted figure against detailed solar structure.
- The shot was taken on Sunday, November 8, 2025, at about 9:00 a.m. local time after six alignment attempts to position the aircraft and jumper within the telescope’s narrow field.
- McCarthy used hydrogen-alpha filtration to resolve the Sun’s chromosphere, revealing sunspots and plasma filaments while Brown jumped from roughly 3,500 feet.
- The camera position was about 8,000 feet from the jumper, leaving only fractions of a second to capture the transit, with coordination including pilot Jim Hamberlin and three-way comms.
- The post drew millions of views and high-profile praise, including Elon Musk’s “Nice shot” and compliments from astronaut Don Pettit, with limited-edition prints offered by McCarthy.