Backyard timelapse reveals edge-on solar plasma loop arcade

Astrophotographer Mark Johnston captured a two-hour timelapse from his Scottsdale, Arizona backyard showing a rare coronal loop arcade—arches of hot plasma shaped by the Sun's magnetic field—extending above the solar limb, including visible coronal rain as material cools and falls along magnetic lines. The sequence, recorded on Aug. 21, 2026, was captured with a TEC160FL refractor and hydrogen-alpha solar imaging gear, delivering an edge-on view of the Sun from home.