An astrophotographer has created a striking image that appears to show a skydiver plummeting directly into the sun’s surface. The photograph, taken by Andrew McCarthy, an Arizona-based specialist in solar photography, was captured on November 8th and has quickly gained attention for its dramatic and seemingly impossible composition.
The Improbable Shot
The image, titled “The Fall of Icarus,” features YouTuber and musician Gabriel C. Brown mid-jump, perfectly aligned with the fiery disk of the sun. The effect creates the illusion that Brown is falling directly into the star. McCarthy described the shot as requiring an “absolutely preposterous” level of planning and believes it may be the first of its kind.
The skydiver executed the jump from a small propeller-powered aircraft at approximately 3,500 feet (1,070 meters) altitude, positioned roughly 8,000 feet (2,440 meters) from McCarthy’s camera. Brown shared behind-the-scenes photos and videos of the shoot on Instagram, documenting the meticulous preparation and the pair’s excitement after successfully capturing the image.
Challenges and Precision
Capturing the shot was far from simple. McCarthy explained that the aircraft’s unpredictable movement made tracking it through the sky difficult. Despite weeks of planning, it took six attempts to properly align the aircraft with the sun. The limited time window, dictated by parachute safety concerns, meant they had only one chance to execute the jump correctly.
“We only had one shot at the jump as repacking the parachute safely would take too long for another,” McCarthy said. The difficulty lay in reliably tracking the aircraft against the backdrop of the sun, a task far more challenging than capturing the sun itself.
Part of a Series of Unique Solar Transits
This photograph is the latest in a series of striking solar transit images captured by McCarthy. He has previously documented the International Space Station appearing to cross a solar flare and a SpaceX rocket seemingly cutting through the solar disk. These images highlight the unique perspective offered by combining astrophotography with human-scale events.
McCarthy considers this new photograph to be among the top five images he has taken in his career. The success of the shot underscores the potential for combining technical precision with creative vision in astrophotography.
The image serves as a compelling visual illusion, demonstrating how careful planning and execution can create seemingly impossible compositions. It showcases the beauty and wonder of space through a unique and human-scale perspective
