(http://sites.google.com/site/2012thebigwobble/_/rsrc/1269957791753/nasa-spheres-updated/bigone3.bmp)
or
(http://sites.google.com/site/2012thebigwobble/_/rsrc/1269957844614/nasa-spheres-updated/Bigone4.bmp)
They are real image of our Sun. Yes, *that* sun.
Here is an other link. Please download the movies there. I think you won't regret it!
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/21apr_firstlight/
If you ask that if these can be made in 3D ? You can make anything you want . It is up to you and the tools you use.
Mostly only up to the artist ;)
You could probably do it in TG2, I've been out of the game for a while now, but I remember someone, possibly Dandelo tried to do something similar. It'd certainly be a set of cloud layers that you'd be working on to achieve this, couldn't really guess at what you'd have to focus on though.
This animation was done in 3DS Max:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8SG59R65e8