Sun in 4K: breathtaking timelapses reveal a roiling, dynamic star

A Sky at Night Magazine feature highlights how the Sun is more dynamic than it appears, currently in Solar Cycle 25 with rising solar activity. Portuguese astrophotographer Miguel Claro captures high‑resolution hydrogen‑alpha images and 4K timelapse videos from Portugal’s Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve, revealing phenomena from granulation to prominences, filaments and outer corona. The piece showcases several dramatic clips, including a long solar tornado, and notes AR3590 as the cycle’s largest sunspot with multiple X‑class flares. It also covers composite imaging of both chromosphere and corona during the 2024 US eclipse and discusses equipment safety for solar imaging.