A Heart in Space
The photo shows the flattening and distortion of the Sun disc near the horizon, due to optical atmospheric effects. During sunset, the sun disc may take on fantastic shapes, such as a peach, a balloon or a bulb.
 Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, BA Senior Astronomy Specialist

On 28 April 2008, Egypt celebrated its ancient spring festival, Sham en Nisim. The weather was fine, and the western horizon was mostly clear in Alexandria. It was an opportunity for BA Senior Astronomy Specialist Aymen Ibrahem to picture a fascinating sunset.

Intriguingly, Ibrahem’s images show a reddened, heart-shaped Sun. When the Sun is only a few degrees above the horizon, the solar disc may be distorted into fantastic shapes, due to optical atmospheric effects. The air layers near the horizon are relatively thick. They actually act like a huge natural lens that gives rise to flattening and distortion of the Sun disc.

The Sun is nearly a perfect sphere, as its equatorial and polar diameters differ only very slightly. Our planet, however, is considerably flattened, as its equatorial and polar diameters differ by approximately 42 km. The optical flattening of the Sun disc near the horizon may be as large as 20%. The Sun is then ellipsoidal in shape!  

Ibrahem would like to present some of his images as season’s greetings. The photos are presented in the picture gallery below.

Picture Gallery

Fig (1)
A Smeared Sun
Due to optical flattening and distortion, the Sun disc may be distorted into exotic shapes. Sometimes the Sun resembles a peach, a pumpkin, a bulb or a heart.
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, BA Senior Astronomy Specialist 

Fig (2)
A Heart-shaped Star
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, BA Senior Astronomy Specialist

Fig (3)
An Ellipsoidal Star
The photo shows a remarkably flattened setting Sun.
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, BA Senior Astronomy Specialist

Fig (4)
Sunset Mirage
The photo shows the sunset mirage effect. Due to the mirage effect, an image of the Sun rises, and merges with the setting Sun.
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, BA Senior Astronomy Specialist

Fig (5)
Omega Sun
This optical effect is known as the omega Sun, as the Sun resembles the Greek letter omega, due to sunset mirage.
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, BA Senior Astronomy Specialist

Further Reading

Two Suns Shine over the Mighty Pyramids
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Eclipse over Cairo
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A rose in Space
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Aymen Mohamed Ibrahem
Senior Astronomy Specialist