Nikon recently shared some tips on how to photograph April’s total solar eclipse, and NASA is also offering its own ideas.
The total solar eclipse will take place on April 8 and folks in the U.S. have a great opportunity to witness this extraordinary celestial event. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the sun and Earth, momentarily blocking the sun’s rays and casting a huge shadow across a part of our planet.
Next month’s eclipse will be best viewed from a stretch of land running from Maine in the northeast of the U.S. all the way to Texas in the south.
While many people will want to simply don a pair of eclipse specs to enjoy the experience, others will want to record the event by photographing it.
NASA recently shared a number of tips on how to grab the best shots of April’s total solar eclipse.
First, the agency says to be sure to put safety first by wearing eclipse glasses, which will protect your eyes by reducing the glare of the sun. Also, you’ll need to use a solar filter on your camera to capture the eclipse just before and after totality (when the moon completely blocks the sun), or it’ll be way too bright. But during totality, you’ll need to remove the filter.
NASA’s second tip says that “any camera is a good camera.” It explains that “whether you have a high-end DLSR or a camera phone, you can take great photos during the eclipse, after all, the best piece of equipment you can have is a good eye and a vision for the image you want to create.” NASA says that you can steady the camera during long-exposure shots by sticking it on a tripod and using a shutter-release device, though if you don’t have the latter then the timer function works just as well for hands-free shots.
NASA’s most compelling tip highlights the benefits taking time to “look up, look down, look all around.” In other words, while the sun takes center stage in a solar eclipse, be sure to survey your surroundings so that you can properly witness the landscape as it becomes bathed in an eerie light and darkening shadows. Consider photographing the light filtering through the overlapping leaves of trees as they create natural pinholes that project miniature eclipse replicas on the ground. NASA photographer Bill Ingalls recommends focusing on the human experience of watching the eclipse, too, saying: “The real pictures are going to be of the people around you pointing, gawking, and watching it. Those are going to be some great moments to capture to show the emotion of the whole thing.” But if you do that, be careful not to miss the eclipse itself if that’s what you’re there for!
Finally, a key piece of advice: Get familiar with your camera before April 8 and practice with the settings you’re likely to use. “Most cameras, and even some camera phones, have adjustable exposures, which can help you darken or lighten your image during the tricky eclipse lighting,” the space agency says, adding that you should also “make sure you know how to manually focus the camera for crisp shots.” During the event, you’ll see a wide range of brightness, “so it’s best to use a fixed aperture and a range of exposures from approximately 1/1000 to 1 second,” NASA says.
The agency has created a map showing the best places to view the total solar eclipse, which is expected to be viewed by millions of people across the country.
Editors’ Recommendations
How to photograph April’s solar eclipse, according to Nikon
Warby Parker offering free eclipse specs for April’s celestial event
Stunning image shows annular solar eclipse from a million miles away
How to watch the annular solar eclipse this week, in person or online
Remarkable imagery shows NASA probe as it’s hit by a solar storm
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
NASA eyes weather for Friday’s Crew-7 launch. Here’s how it’s looking
NASA and SpaceX are about to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Crew-7 mission.
The crew comprises American Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA, Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency), Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Konstantin Borisov of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency. They’ll spend six months living and working aboard the station orbiting about 250 miles above Earth.
Read more
How to watch a rare hybrid solar eclipse
Update: The eclipse is over. Below you can watch a recording of NASA’s real-time stream that covered this rare event.
NASA Science Live: Watch a Total Solar Eclipse in Australia
Read more
NASA map shows where you can see a solar eclipse across the U.S.
Some of the most fascinating astronomical events to see from Earth are solar eclipses, when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun and blocks out some or all of the sun’s light. The resulting darkness during daytime is fascinating and can lead to some stunning views — though, for safety reasons, you should never look directly at the sun and should use a tool like a pinhole camera to observe eclipses instead.
However, these eclipses happen on a rather complex schedule related to the orbit of the moon, so exactly when and where to see an eclipse can be hard to track. To help with this, NASA has created a map of the U.S. showing when and where you can see a solar eclipse in 2023 and 2024.
Read more
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Digital Trends – https://www.digitaltrends.com/space/how-to-photograph-april-solar-eclipse-nasa/
