Solar Max This full disk image of the sun is a white-light, or visible light image. It was taken near the maximum of our current solar cycle (Cycle 23). The square in the middle acts as a "window": through it you can see the sun using different filters. You can click and drag on the square to examine different parts of the sun. The buttons at the bottom control which filter is used. Each lets you see the sun in a different way: in x-ray, extreme ultraviolet, h-alpha, or as a magnetogram. Use the buttons at the bottom to select which filter you'd like to use. Go back to Solar Min.