https://www.iflscience.com/the-fall-of-icarus-you-have-never-seen-an-astrophotography-picture-like-this-81570 Skip to main content CLOSE Thank you! We have emailed you a PDF version of the article you requested. Can't find the email? Please check your spam or junk folder You can also addnewsletters@iflscience.comto your safe senders list to ensure you never miss a message from us. CLOSE IFLScience Home IFLScience logo "The Fall Of Icarus": You Have Never Seen An Astrophotography Picture Like This! Complete the form below to listen to the audio version of this article --------------------------------------------------------------------- 81570Email[ ]Country [Please Choose ]Ready to spark your curiosity? Get our newsletter full of awesome, inspiring, and strange science.You can unsubscribe at any time. View ourprivacy policy and terms below.[Please Choose] audio Listen Cancel and go back IFLScience needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, check out our Privacy Policy Ad IFLScience Home IFLScience logo Support Science Journalism Become a member SUBSCRIBE Support Science Journalism Become a member SUBSCRIBE * account ACCOUNT * astronaut SIGN IN * exit SIGN OUT search Search * more-iconclose moreTopics + Humans + Health & Medicine + Nature + Space & Physics + Technology + Culture & Society * Latest * Trending * Video * Podcasts * Events * NewsLetters * Magazine * more-iconclose moreMore + Features + eBooks + About Us * The vault * search Support Science Journalism Become a member SUBSCRIBE * trending-iconTrending * clock-iconLatest * more-iconclose moreTopics + Humans + Health & Medicine + Nature + Space & Physics + Technology + Culture & Society * Features * Video * Podcasts * Events * NewsLetters * Magazine * more-iconclose moreMore + eBooks + About Us * THE VAULT * Sign Out * Support Science Journalism Become a member UPGRADE * account MY ACCOUNT * exit SIGN OUT * account MY ACCOUNT * THE VAULT * MAGAZINE * exit SIGN OUT space-iconSpace and Physicsspace-iconAstronomy clock-iconPUBLISHED3 days ago share130 "The Fall Of Icarus": You Have Never Seen An Astrophotography Picture Like This! This is not photoshopped. That's really a person falling in front of the Sun. Dr. Alfredo Carpineti headshot Dr. Alfredo Carpineti Dr. Alfredo Carpineti headshot Dr. Alfredo Carpineti Senior Staff Writer & Space Correspondent * * Facebook * Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London. View full profile --------------------------------------------------------------------- Read IFLScience Editorial Policy * twitter-icon * twitter-icon * twitter-icon Senior Staff Writer & Space Correspondent Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.View full profile Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London. View full profile EditedbyKaty Evans Katy Evans headshot Katy Evans Managing Editor * * Facebook * Katy has a BA in Humanities and Philosophy, with over 20 years of experience in online and print publishing. She was named the Association of British Science Writers' Editor of the Year in 2023. View full profile --------------------------------------------------------------------- Read IFLScience Editorial Policy DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION SHARE facebook-icontwitter-iconreddit-iconflipboard-iconbluesky-icon Google prefered source badge the silhoutted of a skydiver is captured in front of the turbuletnt sun where multiple sunspots are visible. Portion of The Fall of Icarus. Image Courtesy of Andrew McCarthy DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION SHARE facebook-icontwitter-iconreddit-iconflipboard-iconbluesky-icon Google prefered source badge We love a good astronomy picture, thanks to prizes like the Astronomy Photographer Of The Year, the quality of astrophotography continues to grow with ever better composition and ideas. Yesterday, however, will be remembered as the day astrophotography had its bar raised by literal kilometers. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content. A collaboration between astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy and skydiver Gabriel C. Brown produced an image like we have never seen before. Called The Fall of Icarus, it shows Brown falling over an incredible image of the Sun in hydrogen alpha light. This is a specific wavelength that traces the turbulent hydrogen layer just above the Sun's bright surface. The result speaks for itself. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gabriel C. Brown (@blackgryph0n) i IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites. The silhouette of Brown is neatly demarcated against the bubbling surface of the Sun. His downward trajectory is perfectly framed between sunspots, active regions on the surface of the Sun that are slightly cooler than their surrounding areas. This is not just a pretty picture; it is truly a masterpiece. "Gabe and I met up to skydive a few months ago, and afterwards we had breakfast and were talking about how we could incorporate skydiving into astrophotography. This idea slowly evolved from there, to take a paramotor to altitude and have him jump while I got the shot," McCarthy told IFLScience. the silhoutted of a skydiver is captured in front of the turbuletnt sun where multiple sunspots are visible. Zoomed in version of The Fall of Icarus. Image Courtesy of Andrew McCarthy Put it like that, McCarthy almost makes it sound easy. It was not. The composition was planned; McCarthy, Brown, and the paramotor pilot were constantly talking to make sure everything would be aligned perfectly for the shot that McCarthy had in mind. "This was quite tricky! I set up several cameras and got on a 3-way call with the pilot and Gabe. The pilot watched his shadow as he climbed in the aircraft, and when he saw it was going to intersect where I was set up, he would idle his power and glide through the Sun, while I gave commands on how to steer once I could see his silhouette," McCarthy explained. "It took six attempts at this before finally lining the jumper up with the sunspots, when I used the command to jump." i IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites. Brown points out in the Instagram post how a series of malfunctions got in the way during the first five attempts. We can sincerely say that we are glad they persevered. The result is truly a phenomenal piece. You can buy limited editions of McCarthy's astrophotography prints on his website. --------------------------------------------------------------------- clock-icon ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED3 days ago Written by Dr. Alfredo Carpineti EditedbyKaty Evans comments iconDiscuss (0 CommentS) comments iconDiscuss (0 CommentS) SHARE facebook-icontwitter-iconreddit-iconflipboard-iconbluesky-icon Google prefered source badge space-icon More Space and Physics Stories link to article Data From Mars Lets ESA Predict 3I/ATLAS's Path 10 Times More PreciselyHubble provides a better view of 3I/ATLAS than ExoMars TGO, but another perspective proved useful space-iconAstronomy Data From Mars Lets ESA Predict 3I/ATLAS's Path 10 Times More Precisely clock-icon2 hours ago share3 link to article See It For Yourself: Your Chance To See Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Livestreamed This WeekInterstellar object 3I/ATLAS, as imaged by the Virtual Telescope Project. space-iconAstronomy See It For Yourself: Your Chance To See Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Livestreamed This Week clock-icon3 hours ago share5 link to article Candidate Gravitational Wave Detection Hints At First-Of-Its-Kind Incredibly Small Objecta neutrons star and black hole about to collide in this artist impression. space-iconAstronomy Candidate Gravitational Wave Detection Hints At First-Of-Its-Kind Incredibly Small Object clock-icon4 hours ago share7 video-icon Multimedia link to article Meet Some Of Earth's Mightiest PredatorsA crocodile eating a fish video-icon Meet Some Of Earth's Mightiest Predators link to article Why Do More People Believe Aliens Have Visited Earth?Man lifted up by UFO video-icon Why Do More People Believe Aliens Have Visited Earth? link to article Searching For Nessie: IFLScience Takes On CryptozoologyA smartphone showing season 5 of The Big Questions, on background image of Loch Ness with a fake monster podcast-icon Searching For Nessie: IFLScience Takes On Cryptozoology More Multimediamore-icon IFLScience Home IFLScience logo FacebookFacebook Youtube RSS The IFLScience Home IFLScience logoNewsletter Receive weekly science coverage direct to your inbox Sign up today! Navigation * Home * Team * About * Careers * Subscribe * Company & Product Insights Contact * Contact * Write For Us * Submit News * Advertise With Us * FAQs & Support Editorial * Editorial Mission * Correction Policy * Comment Policy * Transparency Policy * Fact-Checking Policy Legal * Terms Of Use * Cookie Policy * Privacy Policy * Advertising Policy * Corporate Social Responsibility * Change Cookie Settings * Do Not Sell © 2025 IFLScience. All Rights Reserved. RSS