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Portuguese Photographer Wins Sun Shot Award
Miguel Claro captures Sun's surface in stunning detail after multiple attempts
In brief
Miguel Claro captures Sun's surface in stunning detail after multiple attempts Portuguese astrophotographer Miguel Claro won the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2026 for his detailed Sun surface image Originally reported by Digital Camera World.
Perfect Sun Shot
Portuguese astrophotographer Miguel Claro won the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2026 for his detailed Sun surface image
“After several attempts, a perfect opportunity eventually arose. The excitement that morning was palpable”
Technical Setup
![Layers of the Sun’s chromosphere [the section of the Sun’s atmosphere above its visible surface] captured in UV light.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/d7N3vUurUBrJs4BoBXHxCV-1200-80.jpg)
Claro used a Soleye 300 Dual-Band telescope with Altair 2-nm G-Band filter for the shot
Sun's Surface Detail
The image shows writhing plasma in the Sun's photosphere, the outermost layer of the star's surface
Competition Context
Claro's image won the 'Our Sun' category of the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2026 competition
Competitor Details
Australian astrophotographer Peter Ward used a spectroheliograph to capture calcium filaments in the UV spectrum
Eclipse Photo
British photographer James McBeath captured a 2025 partial solar eclipse in Leeds, England
What matters most
Portuguese astrophotographer Miguel Claro won the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2026 for his detailed Sun surface image
