Smoky Sunspots

Due to the heavy smoke from the regional wildfires, we have been having some truly amazing sunrises! I set out on the morning of August 25th, at about 7:00am, to capture the sunrise under a 500mm lens, and ended up getting more than I bargained for! With the heavy smoke acting as a primitive solar filter, I was able to capture these two sunspots in the photosphere of the sun! Sunspots are visible magnetic fluxuations on the suns' surface, causing a relative decrease in temperature and light. Often appearing as two separate spots, one spot is typically positively-charged, while the other has a negative magnetic charge. Only the largest sunspots can be seen from Earth without the use of a telescope, and what makes this photo even better is that sunspots aren't permanent, and can last only a few days. While it's never a smart idea to look or point your camera at the sun without protection, the smoke and a bit of luck on timing worked together to provide me with this awesome capture!