Astrophotography is not just a hobby, it is an intriguing art that requires immense patience, years of skills and deep knowledge. Meanwhile, the Astronomy Photographer of the Year, an annual competition held by the Royal Observatory Greenwich (ROG), attracts experts in the field. This year, Turkish Astrophotographer Mehmet Ergun claimed the prestigious People’s Choice Award for his breathtaking click of the Great Solar Flare. Ergun captured the scene through an H-alpha solar telescope and his image provides a closer look at the sun.
Measuring approximately 700,000 km, it surpasses the diameter of the Earth, which is around 12,700 km. The award-winning photograph was taken in Traisen, Germany, on September 4, 2022, showcasing the beauty of the cosmos through Ergun’s lens.
In addition to his recent award, the photographer has an impressive list of achievements, as he has won 3 NASA APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day) awards, secured the winner’s trophy of AAPOD2 (Amateur Astronomy Photo of the Day), received recognition from ASTROBIN and Save A Star foundation, he also won EAPOD (European Astronomy Picture Of The Day) and Astronomia Picture Of The Day. Announcing the winners ROG wrote, “The Great Solar Flare is the winning image in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year People’s Choice category. Second place goes to A Rocky Rise by Carl Evans and third place to Butterfly by Vincent Beudez.”
A post shared by Royal Museums Greenwich (@royalmuseumsgreenwich)
As per Royal Observatory Greenwich, Mehmet Ergun explained, “Here we see our Sun, photographed using an H-alpha solar telescope. The Sun is moving towards its maximum cycle and in the photo, we can see a large solar flare. Solar flares are sudden bursts of magnetic energy on the surface of the Sun. These eruptions can be very large, as seen in the image. According to our calculation, this solar flare is about 700,000 km long, Earth has a diameter of about 12,700 km.”
Ergun also took to his Instagram account to share the news of his win and he thanked each individual, who played a part in turning his dream into reality. In his message, he stated that the votes made him truly win and the recognition means a lot to him. The photographer acknowledged that almost a decade ago, he wouldn’t have imagined achieving such recognition.
According to his website, Mehmet Ergun learned many things on his own. During family holidays, they preferred nature spots far from city lights, offering a more beautiful view of the universe. His fascination with space and astronomy started in childhood and Geography became his favourite subject. In 2010, he got his first telescope and gained hands-on experience in astronomy. Over time, he improved his skills and came across the brighter side of the universe through his observations and photographs.
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