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Astrophotographer captures colossal 'Godzilla' plasma cloud stalking the edge of the sun (video)
Remarkable backyard footage captures giant solar prominence and streams of coronal rain flowing along the sun's magnetic field lines.
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Astrophotographer Mark Johnston has captured two mesmerizing views of giant solar prominences — towering clouds of glowing plasma suspended above the sun by magnetic fields.
The first video, captured on May 22, 2026, shows a remarkable prominence releasing streams of material that appear to fall back toward the sun as coronal rain. The second, filmed on May 31, 2026, reveals a 'Godzilla'-like prominence looming above the solar surface.
Johnston explained that the flowing plasma may appear wind-swept, but the motion is largely controlled by the sun's magnetic field.
"The movement you see may look like wind effects, but it's mostly caused by magnetic fields and, to a lesser extent, gravity. The hydrogen on the limb is ionized, so magnetic fields pull it along invisible field lines," Johnston told Space.com in an email.
Johnston captured the footage from his backyard in Scottsdale, Arizona, using a 160mm refractor equipped with a specialized hydrogen-alpha solar filter.
"I try to image the Sun every clear morning, and I'm always looking for interesting features," Johnston told Space.com in an email.
While the prominence resembles a fiery eruption, Johnston notes that looks can be deceiving.
"It's not flame. There's no fire on the Sun. Just as your stove can glow red-hot and not be on fire, the hydrogen on the Sun is so hot it glows too."