You would be forgiven for thinking that the sun looked like a giant yolk after an amateur astronomer captured what looks like a chick sitting on its surface . The strange formation was photographed by amateur astronomer Gordon Ewen , and is a sun spot . The phenomenon is fairly common and the number of spots on the solar surface reflects with how active the sun is . They occur when a concentration of magnetic fields causes the surface temperature to reduce , making a specific section of the sun stand out from its surroundings . The sun 's having a yolk ! Sun spots range hugely in size , from just 10 miles ( 16km ) to 100,000 miles ( 160,000km ) wide - big enough to be seen from Earth without a telescope . Each one can be more than ten times the size of our planet . Gordon Ewen captured the festive photograph using a telescope at the bottom of his garden . Mr Ewen , 57 , set up the observatory shed at the bottom of the garden in Letchworth , Hertfordshire , after he left his job five years ago . ' I 've been interested in astronomy since I was a child . I remember I used to love borrowing books about space from the library and I had telescope when I was 10 , ' he said . 'But It all took a backseat when I went to university to study chemistry though . ' The photograph of the chick-like sun spot was taken on March 10 at midday . The large telescope focuses on a specific wavelength of light and allows him to see the details created on the sun 's surface as hydrogen gas surfaces and swirls . Sun spots range in size , from just 10 miles ( 16km ) to 100,000 miles ( 160,000km ) wide - big enough to be seen from Earth without a telescope , and more than ten times the size of our planet . Sunspots have a temperature of anywhere from 2,700 to 4,200°C ( 4,890 to 7,590°F ) , compared to 5,500°C ( 9,930°F ) for the surrounding solar material , which is why they are so visible . Sunspots are also sometimes the source of eruptions on the sun , namely solar flares . No , the picture on the left is not a sun spot ... : The photograph of the chick-like sunspot was taken using Gordon Ewen 's telescope that focuses on a specific wavelength of light . This allows him to see the details created on the sun 's surface ( another example of his work pictured , right ) Mr Ewen , 57 , set up the observatory ( pictured ) shed at the bottom of the garden in Letchworth , Hertfordshire , after he left his job five years ago . ' I 've been interested in astronomy since I was a child . I remember I used to love borrowing books about space from the library , ' he said . They can have a temperature of anywhere from 2,700 to 4,200°C ( 4,890 to 7,590°F ) , compared to 5,500°C ( 9,930°F ) for the surrounding solar material , which is why they are so visible . The hot spots are also the source of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections ( CMEs ) , all of which are linked to magnetic fields . The sun goes through a periodic change in activity known as a solar cycle , which has an average duration of 11 years . This also affects the frequency of sunspots . Sunspots should not be confused with coronal holes , regions of the corona - an aura of plasma around the sun - where the magnetic field reaches out into space rather than looping back down onto the surface . Sun spots are also the source of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections ( CMEs ) , all of which are linked to magnetic fields ( a picture of a coronal mass ejection taken by Mr Ewen , pictured )
Strange formation is a sun spot and fairly common.The number on the surface correlates with how active the sun is . Spots occur when magnetic fields causes surface temperature to reduce , making a section stand out . Have temperature of up to 4,200Sun ( 7,590°F ) , compared to 5,500Sun ( 9,930°F ) of the surrounding solar material . Gordon Ewen captured the unique photograph using a large telescope at the bottom of his garden in Hertfordshire .