A British photographer has captured incredible solar images from an observatory he built in his back garden . Retired engineer , Dave Tyler captured these stunning pictures showing the ferocious activity on the sun 's surface during its solar maximum - when the star is at its most active during its 11 year cycle . The amateur snapper is able to capture a wide variety of phenomena from his own home near High Wycombe , including sunspots , solar prominences , coronal loops and solar flares . Scroll down for video . One for the album : A streak of burning gas leaves the sun in this photo by Dave Tyler in his back garden . The 72-year-old designed and built his own observatory in 1977 and now uses powerful telescopes to observe and photograph the solar system . Tyler first became interested in astronomy after seeing the first episode of the BBC 's Sky at Night in 1957 . He said : ' I had always had a casual interest in astronomy ever since the first Sky at Night . 'However , more than a decade later a friend gave me an old Ross 3 inch refractor which I cobbled onto a camera tripod . Here comes the sun : A magnificent picture of the star which dominates our solar system from December 2014 . 'With this simple device I was able to look at Saturn , which left me truly amazed . 'Like many other amateurs who have had the same experience , I was instantly launched into a life long passion with the subject . ' I am now very aware of my position in the solar system . The sun is awesome and many people do not even realise it is a star . Through my scopes it is an amazing sight . ' The sun photographed during its solar maximum which is its most active period during its 11 year cycle . A sunspot captured during the sun 's solar maximum by backyard observer Dave Tyler in February . David Tyler and the equipment he uses to take pictures of the sun in High Wycombe , Buckinghamshire . A solar war rages on the sun 's surface during its solar maximum on January 15 , 2015 . A prominence rising from the sun photographed by Dave Tyler who built his own observatory in his garden . A sun spot is pictured in this photograph taken in March by Mr Tyler . Solar power : A fiery battle rages on the sun 's surface on September 2 , 2014 . An plane flying through the night sky against the backdrop of the sun which has a visible sun spot . A large sunspot visible on the star 's surface during its solar maximum in September 2014 . The 72-year-old designed and built his own observatory in 1977 and now uses powerful telescopes to observe and photograph the solar system . A view of the dome in David Tyler 's garden , containing the equipment used to take pictures of the sun .
Retired engineer Dave Tyler built his own observatory in garden in 1977 . Uses powerful telescope to photograph solar system from home in Bucks . Takes pictures of variety of phenomena including solar flares and sunspots .