Learn how to take satisfactory photos of this Saturday's eclipse (14). You need to take some precautions!
The annular solar eclipse will be visible this Saturday (14) throughout Brazil. The “ring of fire” will appear in the sky during the afternoon. And when an astronomical event like this happens, it is clear that the first reactions are to look and take photos. However, it is necessary to take some care when observing the eclipse.
Furthermore, taking photos of a solar eclipse with a cell phone is not an easy task. However, the good news is that it is not impossible to obtain satisfactory results. However, as already mentioned, there are a number of concerns that we should be aware of, as well as some strategies to achieve an attractive image without encountering major problems.
Find out now the main precautions you should take when observing the eclipse and the best ways to take photos to record this moment.
How to photograph the solar eclipse
The first step to photographing the event is to have some skill with your cell phone camera. To do this, you can practice taking other photos of the sky. It is also interesting to practice taking photos of the full moon, to get an idea of the size of the object in your photo.
Next, you need to learn how to make the most of the camera control that your phone offers, such as brightness, white balance and focus adjustments are the main features to practice. If your phone has a pro mode, it is ideal to try taking photos of the full moon doing tests with ISO control and exposure time.
The manual focus in pro mode is also essential for the solar disk to appear sharp, especially if terrestrial objects, such as buildings and mountains, are in the image composition.
It is best not to expect the Sun to be large in the images and not to rely on the zoom feature of your phone. However, you can use magnifying lenses designed for phones, especially the lenses telescopes for astrophotography with cell phones.
But be careful, magnifying lenses can even melt the camera sensor. Therefore, when using them, some care is necessary.
Care
It is strictly forbidden to look at the Sun without any protection, even during eclipses, as direct exposure of the eyes to sunlight causes the risk of permanent blindness. This also applies to camera sensors, which is why they must be protected.
Protection can be provided with the same accessories that we can use to protect our eyes: ISO certified eclipse viewing glasses, welder's mask glass with tint 14 or higher or Baader solar filters.
Baader filters are widely used for imaging the Sun with telescopes, as they reduce solar radiation by 99.999%, leaving enough light for observation. They are more expensive, but are an interesting option for use in binoculars and magnifying lenses for cell phones.
During total occultation, when the solar disk is completely covered by the moon, filters can make images too dark for an interesting photo. At this point, the filter can be removed to take quick images of the peak of the eclipse, as long as you do not use a long exposure and protect the camera immediately afterwards.
How to find the position of the sun during an eclipse
It is important to know where in the sky the eclipse will occur in your region. To do this, you can use apps like Stellarium and select the time when the event begins, when it is at its maximum occultation, and when the Moon lets the Sun shine again in its fullness.
