If you take a look at some of my current images you can see a version of the idea.  I use the same process to create glow effects on suns and stars.  It also looks great when used for things like my starship weapons which need to have an uneven pulsed light look.  I also use it for the exhaust of most of my starship models.  Check this image out.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1024774

The sun uses the process I outlined above with just a small lens flare thrown in.