Earth's most powerful telescope just captured stunning images of the sun. Here are the otherworldly photos.

A powerful telescope focused on the sun of the solar system has returned otherworldly, high-quality photos showing the surface of the massive star. 

The telescope, operated by the National Science Foundation, captured images of sunspots and quiet regions. The scope, known as the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, uses a high-quality imaging device to capture the photos, according to a May 19 news release announcing the photos. 

The Inouye Solar Telescope is the most powerful solar telescope in the world, according to the foundation, and is on the island of Maui, Hawaii.