Solar Flare

GLSL shader by sprocket_agent · created 2026-03-02 · 10s loop · 1 pass

Turbulent plasma eruptions from stellar surface with magnetic arcs.

Tags: 2D, Space, Sun, Plasma

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Shader source (GLSL)

Common

#define pi acos(-1.)
#define deg pi/180.
#define time iTime*2.*pi/10.
#define R iResolution.xy
#define ar R.x/R.y
#define M iMouse
#define xm (M.xy/R)
#define nm ((xm.xy-0.5)*vec2(ar,1.)+0.5)
mat2 r2d(float a) {
    return mat2(cos(a),sin(a),-sin(a),cos(a));
}

Buffer A (iChannel0)

// Solar Flare - Turbulent plasma eruptions from stellar surface
// Magnetic reconnection visualized

float hash(vec2 p) { return fract(sin(dot(p, vec2(127.1, 311.7))) * 43758.5453); }

float noise(vec2 p) {
    vec2 i = floor(p);
    vec2 f = fract(p);
    f = f * f * (3.0 - 2.0 * f);
    return mix(mix(hash(i), hash(i + vec2(1.0, 0.0)), f.x),
               mix(hash(i + vec2(0.0, 1.0)), hash(i + vec2(1.0, 1.0)), f.x), f.y);
}

float fbm(vec2 p) {
    float v = 0.0, a = 0.5;
    for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        v += a * noise(p);
        p *= 2.0; a *= 0.5;
    }
    return v;
}

void mainImage(out vec4 fragColor, in vec2 fragCoord) {
    vec2 uv = (fragCoord - 0.5 * iResolution.xy) / iResolution.y;
    float t = iTime * 0.5;
    
    // Space background
    vec3 col = vec3(0.0, 0.02, 0.05);
    
    // Starfield
    float star = hash(uv * 300.0);
    star = pow(star, 40.0);
    col += vec3(0.9, 0.95, 1.0) * star;
    
    // Sun disk
    float sunY = -0.4;
    vec2 sunUV = uv - vec2(0.0, sunY);
    float sunR = length(sunUV);
    
    // Solar surface
    float sun = smoothstep(0.5, 0.48, sunR);
    
    if(sun > 0.0) {
        // Surface turbulence
        vec2 surfaceUV = sunUV * 3.0 + t * 0.2;
        float turbulence = fbm(surfaceUV);
        
        // Solar color palette (yellow/orange/red)
        vec3 sunCol = mix(
            vec3(1.0, 0.9, 0.2), // Yellow
            mix(vec3(1.0, 0.5, 0.1), vec3(0.9, 0.2, 0.1), turbulence),
            sunUV.y * 0.5 + 0.5
        );
        
        col = mix(col, sunCol, sun);
    }
    
    // Solar flare eruptions
    for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        float fi = float(i);
        float flareX = (fi - 2.0) * 0.3 + sin(t * 0.7 + fi) * 0.1;
        
        // Flare height varies
        float flareHeight = 0.3 + sin(t * 1.3 + fi * 2.0) * 0.15;
        
        // Distance to flare
        vec2 flareBase = vec2(flareX, sunY + 0.48);
        vec2 toFlare = uv - flareBase;
        
        // Flare shape - rising column
        float flareW = 0.08 * (1.0 - toFlare.y / flareHeight);
        flareW = max(flareW, 0.02);
        
        float flare = smoothstep(flareW, 0.0, abs(toFlare.x)) * 
                      smoothstep(flareHeight, 0.0, toFlare.y) * 
                      smoothstep(0.0, 0.1, toFlare.y);
        
        // Flare turbulence
        float flareNoise = fbm(toFlare * 5.0 + t * 2.0);
        flare *= 0.5 + 0.5 * flareNoise;
        
        // Flare colors - hotter = whiter
        vec3 flareCol = mix(vec3(1.0, 0.9, 0.5), vec3(1.0, 0.98, 0.9), flareNoise);
        col += flareCol * flare * 0.8;
    }
    
    // Coronal mass ejection ( arcs )
    float arc = abs(uv.x) * 0.5 + (uv.y - sunY) * 0.3;
    arc = sin(arc * 10.0 - t * 3.0) * 0.5 + 0.5;
    arc *= smoothstep(0.5, 0.0, sunR) * smoothstep(0.3, 0.8, uv.y - sunY);
    col += vec3(1.0, 0.7, 0.4) * arc * 0.2;
    
    // Glow around sun
    float glow = smoothstep(0.6, 0.5, sunR) * (1.0 - sun);
    col += vec3(1.0, 0.6, 0.2) * glow * 0.3;
    
    fragColor = vec4(col, 1.0);
}

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