The sun is giving off solar eruptions so massive, it looks like a huge volcano. Amateur astronomer Peter Lawrence snapped this amazing close-up of the flares shooting into space from the sun's eastern limb, using a solar telescope and filter. Could this herald the appearance of a new sunspot? Or an ancient civilization emerging from its solar fortress? Click through to see another amateur photo and judge for yourself.

Top solar image by Peter Lawrence. Bottom solar image by C. Miller and J. Stetson. [SpaceWeather]