Something strange under the sun....

I got a weird render issue...

Note the two attached images...

IMAGE 1 Strange Renders - normal: I created this render by having a satellite figure as the only object, but applying a jpg background (IMAGE 2).

IMAGE 2 Stars and Sun: The backgound jpg I made for IMAGE 1's environment background file. I created that in an anim8or scene where I made the "sun" by using a flat surface with a blurred "glow" texture with a solid white-blue blurred jpg and a transmap to make the illusion of a bright sun/light. I had a plain starfield jpg for an environment background image. I've used this "sun" technique many times to make "glows" in light bulbs, etc. In fact, the satellite has a similar "bulb glow" in a small lamp on the housing, and at the end of the shorter antenna, though they are hard to see because of the small size of the render area.

IMAGE 3 Strange Renders - odd: Here, I have returned to the source "sun" flat object which is placed behind sphere "planets". The spheres and sun "panel" are the only objects. A plain "star" jpg was applied for the environment background. Originally, when I rendered this into jpg it came out looking like the first image's sunshine render...

No matter what I do, I can't seem to get my "sun glow" object as seen in MAGE 3 to return to its original crisp, clean appearance as seen in IMAGE 1 and IMAGE 2. I have even tried replacing my anim8or program with fresh downloads.

Does anyone have any idea why this quirk seems to have arbitrarily raised its ugly head>