Explanation: This could be the view from an exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star, but it’s our own Sun. This image was taken on July 22, 2026 in the Okanagan region in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Smoke from the Pacific Northwest wildfires acted as a solar filter, allowing the photographer to take this photo of the Sun directly. Several sunspots are also seen in this eerie image; Just below and to the right of center is AR 4493, a giant, rapidly evolving solar active region and sunspot group. Smoke is made up of small particles that help block and disperse light with bluer colors, so the light we see coming from the Sun is dimmer and redder than usual (but it’s never safe to look directly at the Sun). Sunsets and sunrises are also more colorful because of the smoke. In about 6 billion years, the Sun will begin to become redder as it approaches its red giant phase.

Tomorrow’s photo: What’s next?