Astrophotographer Captures Skydiver ‘Falling’ Past Sun’s Surface

An extraordinary photograph taken by Andrew McCarthy, an Arizona-based astrophotographer, has garnered significant attention for its stunning portrayal of a skydiver seemingly plummeting past the sun’s surface. Captured at approximately 09:00 MST on November 8, 2023, the image creatively aligns the skydiver with the fiery orb, giving the illusion of the adventurer soaring through the vacuum of space in front of our home star.

The skydiver featured in the photograph is Gabriel C. Brown, a YouTuber and musician. He jumped from a propeller-driven aircraft at an altitude of about 3,500 feet (1,070 meters), positioned approximately 8,000 feet (2,440 meters) from McCarthy’s camera. The photograph, titled “The Fall of Icarus,” required an exceptional degree of planning and is touted by McCarthy as possibly the first of its kind.

Meticulous Planning and Execution

McCarthy, who specializes in solar photography, reported that achieving the perfect shot involved extensive preparation. Despite weeks of meticulous planning, the team encountered several challenges during the process. “We only had one shot at the jump as repacking the parachute safely would take too long for another,” McCarthy said. After six attempts to align the aircraft with the sun, they finally succeeded on the first and only jump of the day.

The primary difficulty arose from tracking the aircraft, which proved more complicated than anticipated. McCarthy noted, “Capturing the sun is something I’m quite familiar with, but this added new challenges.” The moment of the jump was recorded using hydrogen alpha light, allowing the sun’s atmosphere to be clearly visible.

In a post on the social platform X, McCarthy expressed his exhilaration at seeing the shot perfectly captured on his monitors. “You can see the excitement on my face in the videos,” he remarked, sharing behind-the-scenes footage of the successful jump and the celebration that followed.

A Unique Achievement in Astrophotography

The photograph has quickly risen to prominence among McCarthy’s work, ranking among the “top 5” images he has produced throughout his career. In addition to this remarkable capture, McCarthy has recently photographed other solar events, including a rare alignment of the International Space Station with a solar flare and a SpaceX rocket appearing to traverse the solar disk.

His portfolio also features images of a massive plasma plume extending over a million miles (1.6 million kilometers) from the sun and high-definition photographs of the lunar surface. McCarthy’s knack for capturing such spectacular celestial events continues to draw admiration from both the scientific community and the general public.

As the excitement around McCarthy’s latest photograph spreads, it serves as a reminder of the captivating intersections between human activity and the vastness of space. The image not only showcases the beauty of the universe but also highlights the innovative spirit that drives individuals like McCarthy and Brown to push the boundaries of what is possible in astrophotography.