An astrophotographer from Arizona has captured a breathtaking and extremely rare photograph that is now going viral across social media. The image shows a skydiver falling in perfect alignment with the glowing surface of the sun, creating an illusion that the person is tumbling through outer space right in front of the fiery star.
The incredible shot was taken by Andrew McCarthy, a well-known astrophotographer who specialises in photographing the sun in great detail. McCarthy captured the dramatic moment on Saturday and later shared it on the social platform X. He revealed that the photograph, which he titled “The Fall of Icarus,” required an “absolutely preposterous” level of planning and technical skill.
Immense planning and technical precision was required for this absolutely preposterous (but real) view: I captured my friend @BlackGryph0n transiting the sun during a skydive.
This might be the first photo of it’s kind in existence. See a video of this moment in the reply 👇 pic.twitter.com/mkjfavuVsZ
— Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy) November 13, 2025
In his post, McCarthy wrote that the picture might be the first of its kind ever taken. He explained that he managed to capture his friend, YouTuber and musician Gabriel C. Brown, also known online as @BlackGryph0n, as he skydived directly across the visible face of the sun from McCarthy’s viewpoint. “Immense planning and technical precision was required,” McCarthy said in his caption, adding that the moment was captured in hydrogen-alpha light, which helps reveal the sun’s atmosphere and its active features.
According to the details shared by the duo, Brown jumped from a small propeller aircraft at an altitude of about 3,500 feet (1,070 metres). McCarthy was positioned roughly 8,000 feet (2,440 metres) away with his highly specialised solar-imaging setup, waiting for the exact second when Brown’s silhouette would pass over the sun.
Brown later posted behind-the-scenes photos and a celebratory video on Instagram, showing the excitement he and McCarthy shared after successfully pulling off the extremely challenging shot. Both creators called the experience unforgettable.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
