CABO CAÑAVERAL, Florida, EE.UU. (AP) — El sol produjo el martes su mayor llamarada en casi dos décadas, pocos días después de que intensas tormentas solares azotaran la Tierra y crearan deslumbrantes auroras boreales en lugares inusuales.
“¡No he terminado aún!” La Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica anunció en una actualización.
Es la llamarada más grande de este ciclo solar de 11 años, que se acerca a su punto máximo, según la NOAA. La buena noticia es que la Tierra debería estar fuera de la línea de fuego esta vez porque la llama estalló en una parte del sol que gira alejándose de la Tierra.
El Observatorio de Dinámica Solar de la NASA capturó el brillante destello de la llamarada de rayos X. Fue el más fuerte desde 2005 y está clasificado en la escala de estas bengalas como X8,7.
Podría ser más fuerte cuando los científicos recopilen datos de otras fuentes, dijo Brian Brasher del Centro de Predicción del Clima Espacial de la Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica (NOAA) en Boulder, Colorado.
Se produce después de casi una semana de llamaradas y eyecciones masivas de plasma coronal que amenazaron con interrumpir el suministro eléctrico y las comunicaciones en la Tierra y en órbita. Brasher señaló que la eyección asociada con la llamarada del martes parece haber sido dirigida lejos de nuestro planeta, aunque el análisis está en curso.
Esta imagen proporcionada por el Observatorio de Dinámica Solar de la NASA muestra una llamarada solar, el destello brillante de la derecha, el martes 14 de mayo de 2024. El Sol produjo su mayor llamarada en casi una década el martes, pocos días después de que una intensa tormenta solar azotara la Tierra. Creó deslumbrantes auroras boreales en lugares inusuales. (NASA/SDO vía AP)
La NASA dijo que la tormenta geomagnética ocurrida durante el fin de semana provocó que uno de sus satélites ambientales girara inesperadamente debido a una disminución de altitud debido al clima espacial, y entrara en un estado de sueño protector conocido como modo seguro. En la Estación Espacial Internacional, se recomendó a los siete astronautas que permanecieran en zonas con un fuerte escudo radiológico. Según la NASA, la tripulación no corría ningún peligro.
Se podrían ver más exhibiciones de luces cambiantes en el cielo en todo el hemisferio norte a medida que se forma una poderosa tormenta solar.
Se espera que la severa tormenta geomagnética que azotó la semana pasada se vuelva más intensa, según la Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica de Estados Unidos. Está previsto que se produzcan varias eyecciones de masa coronal Bombardear la atmósfera exterior de la Tierra. espacio Posteriormente el 12 de mayo.
Esto significa que muchas personas que no han presenciado esta rara aurora aún pueden tener la oportunidad de verla. Personas en los Estados Unidos, el Reino Unido y otros lugares del mundo informaron haber visto la aurora boreal el sábado, normalmente solo visible por la noche cerca del Polo Norte. Sin embargo, también se produce un efecto similar cerca de la Antártida.
fue por el sol Fuerte llamarada solar – Explosión masiva de energía – 12:26 p.m. ET del domingo. Este brillo está clasificado como X-1.0, una de las llamaradas más intensas jamás observadas. Los expertos advirtieron que el incidente puede crear problemas temporales o pérdida de señales para los usuarios de comunicaciones inalámbricas de alta frecuencia.
“Las erupciones solares envían toneladas de energía a través del espacio a la velocidad de la luz”, según el sitio web estadounidense “Space”. NASA. “A veces, las llamaradas van acompañadas de enormes explosiones solares. Estas explosiones se denominan eyecciones de masa coronal”.
La exhibición de colores en la aurora boreal es el resultado de los electrones emitidos por el Sol durante las tormentas solares. A medida que las partículas cargadas llegan a la Tierra, Viajan a lo largo de las líneas invisibles del campo magnético del planeta. En la atmósfera, interactuando con el aire. Cuando estas partículas chocan con los gases, se calientan y brillan, según la NASA.
Los colores varían según el tipo de gas atmosférico y su altitud. El oxígeno brilla en rojo o azul, mientras que el nitrógeno puede producir verde, azul o rosa. Las recientes y poderosas condiciones de tormenta solar han provocado que la aurora boreal se propague por el Polo Norte, permitiendo que las personas que viven en el extremo sur puedan verlas.
Velocidad de la luz triturable
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Al igual que en las temporadas de tormentas en la Tierra, el sol está expuesto al sol. Un patrón climático que se repite cada 11 años. Al principio y al final del ciclo, esta actividad es más tranquila. Pero la actividad solar aumenta, alcanza su punto máximo a mitad del ciclo y provoca una erupción solar gigante.
Ahora mismo, este ciclo está a punto de llegar a su punto máximo, y está a punto de alcanzarlo. Su punto máximo A mediados de 2025, es por eso que los informes sobre erupciones solares y eyecciones de masa coronal (plasma emitido desde la atmósfera exterior del Sol, llamado corona) abundan en las noticias.
Las eyecciones de masa coronal, como las que se acercan a la Tierra, o CME, se denominan “clima espacial”. Aunque el sol está encendido 93 millones de millas de distanciaEl clima espacial puede afectar la Tierra y otras partes del sistema solar.
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Los científicos tienen una capacidad limitada para predecir el clima espacial. Aquí, la atmósfera y el campo magnético son los que más protegen a las personas de los daños. Efectos adversos para la salud De la radiación solar. Sin embargo, estos eventos pueden tener consecuencias catastróficas para la tecnología, alterando las redes eléctricas, las comunicaciones y los sistemas GPS.
Aunque estos incidentes no ocurren con frecuencia, A Llamarada solar en marzo de 1989, por ejemplo, provocó un corte de energía en Quebec, Canadá, durante 12 horas. También interfirió las señales de radio de Radio Free Europe.
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Antes del resplandor del domingo, salió el sol. Dos erupciones solares más poderosas Poco antes de las 9:30 p.m. ET del viernes y de las 8 a.m. ET del sábado, según la NASA. Agencia Espacial de EE. UU. Observatorio de Dinámica SolarQuien observa constantemente el sol, también tomó fotografías de estos eventos. Los dos quemadores anteriores están clasificados como X-5,8 y X-1,5 respectivamente.
Noé, él Continuar monitoreando la tormenta Según el gobierno de Estados Unidos, estas llamaradas parecen estar relacionadas con una mancha solar que se estima quizás sea 15 veces más grande que la Tierra.
The majority of personal gadgets feature LCD and OLED screens, but most just show information. To make these screens do more – like detecting touch or changing light levels – they need additional sensors. Researchers at Linköping University (LiU) in Sweden have invented a new kind of screen where all these sensor functions are built right into the screen’s LEDs.
The breakthrough in display technology was achieved by crafting RGB LED displays from a “miracle” material known as perovskite. This development marks a potential revolution for future screens of smartphones, computers, and tablets.
Perovskite is renowned for its remarkable light absorption and emission capabilities. This crystalline substance forms the core of the LED and fuels the array of features in the screen.
Still a decade away
Apart from touch and light response, the perovskite screens can recognize fingerprints and sense the user’s pulse. Most impressively, they can harvest light to transform the screen into a solar cell for continuous device charging.
“Your smartwatch screen is off most of the time. During the off-time of the screen, instead of displaying information, it can harvest light to charge your watch, significantly extending how long you can go between charges,” says Chunxiong Bao, associate professor at Nanjing University, previously a postdoc researcher at LiU and lead author of the paper.
Despite these exciting advancements, there’s still ground to cover before these screens can become a household reality. One significant hurdle is the short service life of the display. Zhongcheng Yuan from the University of Oxford, another lead author for the study, noted, “At present, the screen only works for a few hours before the material becomes unstable, and the LEDs go out.”
Yuan estimates a timeline of a decade to resolve these challenges, but maintains optimism for the future of RGB LED displays with perovskite as its powerhouse.
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Optoelectronics professor at Linköping University, Feng Gao, noted, “We’ve now shown that our design principle works. Our results show that there is great potential for a new generation of digital displays where new advanced features can be created. From now on, it’s about improving the technology into a commercially viable product.”
The arrival of the total solar eclipse in the US has brought with it an impressive array of photographs as well. If you weren’t able to find a spot to view the eclipse in person—or if it was stuck behind uncooperative clouds—you can at least get a sense of its grandeur through these photographs taken at different points along its journey.
The path of totality began in Mexico on Monday morning, working its way up through Texas by early afternoon. By 4:40 pm ET, it will have left the US entirely and headed into Canada. If you’re in or near its path, make sure to put on approved sunglasses—or make your own pinhole—to view it for yourself. And if you happen to have pets or live near wildlife, NASA could use a hand figuring out how animals respond to the eclipse.
Otherwise, enjoy these incredible photos of a total solar eclipse in North America. The next one is 20 years away.
On Monday, April 8, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will pass over North America: stand in the right spot, and for a few minutes the moon will completely block out the sun, thanks to a rare alignment of celestial objects.
If you’re not able to get into a spot along the ‘path of totality’ yourself, you don’t have to miss out – there are plenty of ways to watch this spectacular natural show on the web, wherever you happen to be in the world. We’ve picked out some options below.
One benefit of staying at home is you don’t need any special protective eyewear to watch online – something which is an absolute must if you’re looking at the eclipse directly (here’s NASA’s safety advice).
For those of you planning to watch live, you need to know timings: the shadow created by the total eclipse hits Mexico’s Pacific coast at 11.07am PT – that’s 2.07pm ET, 7.07pm in the UK, or 4.07am AEST on Tuesday, April 9 in Australia.
The shadow’s path will move rapidly up through the US and leave the east coast of Canada at 5.16pm NDT – so 1.16pm PT / 4.16pm ET / 9.16pm BST in the UK, and 6.16am AEST on April 9 in Australia. You’ve got a couple of hours to tune in, basically.
Now that you’ve checked your schedule, here’s where to watch.
NASA livestream
Of course NASA has a livestream of the event, which you can watch here. The organization says it’ll be sharing views from several telescopes in the US as the eclipse moves across the United States, and there’ll be expert commentary and an interactive live chat too.
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University of Maine livestream
Head here to watch the livestream coming from the High Altitude Science Balloon maintained by a team from the University of Maine. The balloon will be able to climb up to heights of around 90,000 feet (27,432 meters), which may help with any cloud cover issues.
TimeAndDate.com is going all in on the total solar eclipse: you can visit the site for explainers, animations, timings, and plenty more besides, and you can watch the moon blot out the sun by following the livestream of the celestial event from here.
McDonald Observatory livestream
It helps to watch the total solar eclipse with commentary from people who know what they’re talking about: and that’s the case with the McDonald Observatory livestream right here. Be wowed by the sights of the eclipse and learn some science at the same time.
Local channels and streaming apps
An ABC News special will be on Disney Plus and Hulu (Image credit: ABC)
YouTube livestreams aren’t the only way to watch the solar eclipse: plenty of local and national TV channels will be covering it too, so you can tune in anywhere you can get access to these channels (including NBC, CNN, and ABC) on the web or through apps.
Google TV is actually going to showcase some of these channels for you: head to the For You tab from the front screen. Viewers in the US can also tune into a special on Disney Plus or Hulu, from 11am PT / 2pm ET, and the free NASA app is another way to watch along.
The total solar eclipse is coming, and of course you’ll want to capture this once-in-a-lifetime moment with your best camera. Whether that’s your DSLR, mirrorless, or smartphone, we’re here to give you the best tips possible. But let’s be honest, taking photos of the sun is hard on a normal day, and the total eclipse won’t make things easier.
Let’s set expectations. Even if you have a great camera or one of the best smartphones, your camera and your equipment may not be up to the task, and you probably won’t get an amazing shot worth hanging on your wall or selling in a gallery, not unless you are a dedicated solar photographer.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
That’s why we have tips for taking the best shots of the eclipse that capture the moment and the special day, not just the sun and moon in the sky. We’ll teach you how to set up properly, stay safe during the eclipse, and have a great time taking your best shots.
Most of all, don’t forget to look up – with the proper eyewear in place, of course. Don’t spend the entire eclipse managing your gear or you’ll miss a truly stellar event that likely won’t come your way again in your lifetime.
What is a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse is when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, completely covering the face. This incredible event happens roughly every 18 months, which sounds frequent, but usually only a small part of the Earth has a good view of any total eclipse. This time around, the eclipse will reach a massive cross-section of North America, including many large cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The next total eclipse in the US won’t come until 2044.
According to NASA, the eclipse happens because the Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon, and it is also 400 times farther away from the Earth than the Moon. This serendipity means that the Sun and the Moon appear to be the same size in the sky. When the two objects line up, the Moon covers the Sun almost perfectly.
We say ‘almost’ because the type of eclipse depends on how far the Moon is from the Earth in its orbit. When the Moon is farthest from the earth and closer to the Sun, the Moon cannot block the entire face of the Sun, so the eclipse is not total.
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During an annular eclipse, the moon does not totally block the sun (Image credit: Shutterstock ID 690404740)
This gives us an ‘annular’ eclipse, which produces the ring of fire effect around the Sun because some of the Sun’s face is still visible. During an annular eclipse, it is very dangerous to view the eclipse without proper eyewear.
This year’s total eclipse takes place when the Moon is closer to the Earth. During the total eclipse, the Moon will block all of the face of the sun, including the bright corona. When the Sun is totally blocked, it is technically safe to remove your eclipse eyewear, but only if you are in the path of totality, and only while the sun is totally blocked. NASA and the American Optometric Association still suggest leaving your glasses on, just to be safe.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
The ultimate treat is when the moon covers the entire face of the sun. This leaves the outer atmosphere of the Sun, the Corona, visible around the Moon. Photographers love to capture every stage of the event, but that Corona shot is something truly special because the Corona is usually invisible to the eye, but visible when the Moon is blocking the Sun’s light.
The total solar eclipse is often a once-in-a lifetime event. The eclipse itself seems to change everything. Darkness looms, birds start behaving strangely, and it gets noticeably colder. All of this adds up to a moment where you realize how incredible our solar system truly is.
When and where can I photograph the total solar eclipse?
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, will cast its shadow of totality on land starting around Mazatlán, Sinaloa in Mexico at 11:07 AM local time. It will take around one hour forty minutes to cross the continent. During that time, some portion of the Sun may appear obscured by the moon, no matter where in the country you live.
The total solar eclipse will reach totality, when the moon completely covers the face of the Sun, at the times listed below for major cities in each time zone. If you want a more detailed look, check out NASA’s excellent Where and When website.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Location
Totality begins
Totality ends
Mazatlán, Sinaloa
11:07 AM MST
11:11 AM MST
Dallas, Texas
1:40 PM CDT
1:44 PM CDT
Little Rock, Arkansas
1:51 PM CDT
1:54 PM CDT
Evansville, Indiana
2:02 PM CDT
2:05 PM CDT
Cleveland, Ohio
3:13 PM EDT
3:17 PM EDT
Erie, Pennsylvania
3:16 PM EDT
3:20 PM EDT
Buffalo, New York
3:18 PM EDT
3:22 PM EDT
Burlington, Vermont
3:26 PM EDT
3:29 PM EDT
Montreal, Quebec
3:26 PM EDT
3:27 PM EDT
Caribou Maine
3:32 PM EDT
3:34 PM EDT
Gander, Newfoundland
5:12 PM NT
5:14 PM NT
If you haven’t already picked your spot to see the eclipse, you may want to plan ahead to get the best shot possible. Unless you are carrying a serious zoom lens on a professional camera, your best shot of the eclipse is probably not going to be a close-up of the sun. You’ll want to have some scenery as well.
To pick the best location, including the surroundings and any other background you’d like to include, check out the app PhotoPills. Though PhotoPills is a bit complicated to use, it does an amazing job helping you plan the best photos when the Sun and/or Moon are involved.
With PhotoPills, you enter the date and time, then choose the location where you’ll be sitting, and the app will show you where the sun sits in the sky. If you want to shoot the total solar eclipse with the Statue of Liberty or your favorite local monument, PhotoPills is a must-have. We have more from PhotoPills below.
What to know about shooting an eclipse with your camera
If you’re in the path of totality within the United States, Canada, or Mexico and want to capture the event, then there are a number of things to do to make sure you’re properly prepared. First, you’ll need to make sure you pack the right kit.
Other than your DSLR, picking the right lens is one of the most important considerations, especially if you have an idea of the type of shot that you want to capture. At the very least, you’ll want a 200mm telephoto lens or, even better, 300mm or longer. This will result in the sun taking up around a fifth of the height of the shot.
(Image credit: Shutterstock ID 700335634)
On the other end, if you want the total solar eclipse to take up your whole shot, then you’ll need to get a lens with 1,200mm range. This can also be achieved by pairing a telephoto lens with a teleconverter, which is a secondary lens that magnifies the center of your image. So, 1,200mm is possible with a 600mm lens and a 2x teleconverter. Teleconverters add more glass, though, so the shot may not be as bright or sharp as it would be with a dedicated lens.
Getting the closest possible crop might seem like the best course of action, but there are other things to consider. The first is that the sun’s corona extends beyond the edge of the Sun and the total eclipse, and therefore a tight crop risks cutting off details. The second is that the closer the crop, the more regularly you’ll have to reframe.
To avoid both of these pitfalls, we recommend a lens focal length of between 400-800mm perfect for capturing all the beauty of a total solar eclipse.
Shooting the total solar eclipse – what you’ll need
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Lesterman)
– Camera or phone – A telephoto lens (at least 300mm – up to 1200mm) – Safety solar filter – Safety solar glasses – Tripod – Shutter release
For most photography, you’re all set with a DSLR and a lens, but that’s not the case when capturing the total solar eclipse. In the same way that you’ll need solar glasses for your eyes, you’ll also need a solar filter for your lens. This will help you avoid damaging components and ruining sensitive electronic parts.
Solar filters are fitted like any other filter, with a screw-in thread at the end of your lens. They block out enough UV and IR light to not only protect your equipment but also to protect your eyes when looking through the viewfinder.
The first step to finding the perfect filter is to find the diameter of your lens. This number, in mm, will be displayed either on the side or front of the lens and may even be preceded by the Ø symbol.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
With all your gear purchased and ready to go, it’s time to make sure everything is clean and free from dust. The last thing you’ll want is a speck of dust ruining that once-in-a lifetime photo. Use a camera cleaning kit, or if you want it done professionally, then it might be worth paying for the service for this special occasion.
Pack your gear into your favorite camera bag, or look at our best camera bags for some ideas. Get to your pre-determined site well ahead of time, set everything up, and wait for the magic to happen.
Step-by-step instructions for shooting an eclipse with your camera
(Image credit: Future)
1. Choose your location By far the easiest way to make sure you’re in the right location is to purchase the Photopills app ($10.99 / £10.99 / AU$14.99). The app includes an incredible augmented reality function that superimposes the moon onto your camera feed. Being able to frame your shot in advance will save you the stress of having to work on the fly. Preparation is key to avoiding missing that special shot, and if you can visit the location ahead of time, then all the better. Position your tripod and lens in your desired location, and make sure your lens is pointing in the correct direction.
2. Set your lens to manual focusing You may be able to get away with autofocus, but to have maximum control, you are far better off switching to manual focus. By doing this, you’ll avoid the hassle of having to wait for the camera to find focus every time you want to take a snap.
3. Turn off VR/IS There is no need for your camera to apply vibration reduction or image stabilization when you’re using a tripod. Turning these settings off will result in a better image.
4. Shoot in RAW If you want to edit your image in post, then give yourself the most dynamic range by shooting in RAW format. This will enable you to adjust highlights, shadows, and the overall exposure in case you don’t capture it perfectly in camera.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
5. Choose spot metering The only bright part of your shot is going to be the sun so make sure you meter on the sun specifically. Any of the other metering modes will struggle to accurately process the frame due to the amount of dark versus light parts.
6. Use aperture priority mode Switch on your camera and make sure it is set to aperture priority mode. In this mode, all you have to do is set the aperture and the ISO. Your camera will work out the ideal shutter speed for a well-exposed shot. An aperture between f/5.6 and f/8 is ideal. Finally, adjust your ISO so that you get a shutter speed of somewhere between 1/100s and 1/500s. Keep in mind that the higher the ISO, the more noise that will be introduced.
7. Capture the solar eclipse You are now ready to take some photographs. Use your camera’s self-timer or a remote shutter release to make sure you’re not touching your camera when the shutter is open. Any movement to the camera or tripod when the shutter is open could result in a blurry image.
What to know about shooting an eclipse with your phone
The most important thing to consider when you’re planning to shoot the total solar eclipse with your smartphone is just what sort of image you plan to capture. Even if you have one of the best smartphones with a real optical zoom lens, you won’t come close to making a photograph with an eclipse that dominates the image.
As we mention above in our camera section, to photograph the eclipse in full view, you’d need a lens with around 1,200mm focal range. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 24mm equivalent main lens, and that 5X zoom lens only reaches to around 120mm. Even the 10X zoom lens on the older Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is equivalent to around 240mm zoom. That’s very impressive for a smartphone, but not adequate for astrophotography.
People watching the solar eclipse may be more interesting than the eclipse (Image credit: Shutterstock)
Instead of trying to capture a close-up of the Sun’s corona, why not use your smartphone for what it does best? Take photos of the entire scene. Take photos of the landscape as the Sun disappears.
Even better, smartphone cameras are great for taking photos of people. Take photos of all the people around you, staring up at the eclipse with glasses on, wide-eyed with wonder. In 20 years, when the next eclipse rolls around, those are the photos that will be the most interesting: the photos that show what it was like to be there, not the photos that show just the moon and the sun.
Step-by-step instructions for shooting an eclipse with your phone
1. Use a tripod (even if it’s not really a tripod) You don’t need a tripod to stabilize your phone, but making sure your camera is steady is the best thing you can do for a sharp shot. On Amazon you can find plenty of options for phone tripods, or if you have a photo tripod you can just get an adapter to hold your phone. If you don’t have a tripod, find an object you can lean your phone against to hold it steady.
2. Use the camera’s timer When you tap the shutter button on screen, you can shake the phone, which causes blur. Better to set the timer. Look for the timer on the left side of the camera screen, when you hold your phone sideways (landscape). On iPhone and Galaxy phones, you’ll find a small clock icon that you can tap to set a timer.
The iPhone timer option is shown here (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
3. Attach a solar filter Normally, your phone can balance a scene with the sun just fine. During an eclipse, when the Moon partially blocks the Sun, your camera will adjust for the dark scene but the Sun will still radiate intense light. The difference can damage your camera sensor, just like it can damage your eyes. When the Moon is not totally blocking the Sun, you need to use a solar filter.
Samsung agrees. Company reps tell me “we encourage the use of a filter to protect your device for extended shots taken before, during, and after the eclipse when using a tripod.” The good news is that you don’t need to buy a special filter for your phone. If you have standard ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses, you can just tape one of the lenses to the back of your phone. As long as it is covering your phone lens during the eclipse, your phone will be safe.
4. Turn down your exposure Even during the darkness of the eclipse, the bright light of the Sun’s corona may be overexposed in your shot. You can dial down the exposure on an iPhone. When you focus, a yellow box appears with a small sun icon. Hold the sun icon and drag it down to lower the exposure value (EV).
On Galaxy and other Android phones, you may need to use your camera’s Pro mode. Don’t worry, you won’t have to mess with too many settings. Just look for EV (exposure value) and lower this to a negative number. Lower your exposure until you can see texture on the sun, not just a bright blob of light.
The Night mode icons on the iPhone are shown in yellow (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
5. Shoot in Night mode during totality When the sky is dark, Night Mode will help you balance the difference between the eclipse and your surroundings. On the iPhone, Night Mode should activate automatically when your scene gets dark. A special Night Mode icon will appear, and if you tap on the icon you can set the controls for longer or shorter shots.
On Galaxy phones there is a Night Mode you can manually select. On Pixel phones, this is called Night Sight mode. Experiment during the totality of the eclipse to take a variety of photos for the best possible results.
6. Shoot video and photos at the same time Did you know your phone can shoot video and take photos at the same time? If you start taking a video of the eclipse, you’ll see a white circle appear on the screen. Tap that circle and your iPhone or Android phone will also take a photo, separate from the video. Just remember to use a solar filter when you shoot video before and after totality occurs.
Should I buy a lens attachment for my phone?
Sadly, extra lenses won’t help your smartphone take better eclipse photos. While there are some interesting lens attachments for smartphones, especially the very cool lenses made by Moment, I wouldn’t recommend buying a lens attachment to photograph the solar eclipse. Lens attachments are made to work with the main camera, the 1X zoom lens, so they won’t help take better photos of the eclipse.
If you attach a lens to the 5X zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max or Galaxy S24 Ultra, the image will not be clear because attachment lenses are not made to work with those zoom cameras. The zoom camera leaves too much space between the sensor and the lens, making it hard for the camera to properly focus. Your shot will be blurry.
Also, adding 2X zoom won’t be enough for great solar photography. To fill your frame with the eclipse, you’d need at least 600mm focal range, and up to 1,200mm would be ideal. The iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra give you 120mm with 5X zoom, and doubling that would result in 240mm equivalent. That’s nice, but still not close enough for a great, detailed eclipse photo.
In other anecdotes, onlookers have reported birds that stop singing, crickets that stopped chirping, or bees that return to their hive, reduce their foraging, or suspend their flight during total darkness. But there are also studies that deny that some of these behaviors occur or can be attributed to the eclipse.
Therefore, NASA scientists plan not only to systematize observations but also to document what people hear and see under the shadow of the moon.
“The Great North American Eclipse”
NASA has created the Eclipse Soundscapes citizen science project to collect the experiences of volunteers. It was inspired by a study conducted nearly 100 years ago by William M. Wheeler and a team of collaborators. At that time, the Boston Natural History Society invited citizens, park rangers, and naturalists to report on the activities of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and fish during the summer eclipse of 1932. They collected nearly 500 reports. In their final report they note that some animals exhibited nocturnal behaviors such as returning to their nests and hives or making nighttime vocalizations.
The current NASA study will add observations made during the annular solar eclipse of October 14, 2023 and the total solar eclipse of April 8. The latter will be visible first in Mexico in Mazatlan, then in Nazas, Torreon, Monclova, and Piedras Negras. These localities will be located directly in the umbra of the eclipse and, therefore, their inhabitants will perceive it as total. In nearby regions it will be experienced as a partial eclipse, with less darkness. It will then enter the United States through Texas, passing through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Finally, it will travel across Canada from southern Ontario and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. Astronomical estimates point to the Mexican port of Mazatlan as the best place to observe the 2024 event, which will experience totality at about 11:07 am local time.
A sparrow experiencing a partial solar eclipse in Jize Country, Hebei Province, China, June 21, 2020.Future Publishing/Getty Images
How You Can Help
In the United States, 30 million people live in the area where the eclipse will be perceived as total. If you add in the Mexican and Canadian public, the potential for collecting experiences is immense. That’s what NASA wants to take advantage of.
The project foresees several levels of volunteering: apprentice, observer, data collector, data analyst, and facilitator.
These iPhone cases are truly one of a kind. Photo: Carved
A collection of 100 wild-looking smartphone cases inspired by the upcoming solar eclipse is selling out fast. The one-of-a-kind solar eclipse iPhone cases, made by the craftspeople at Carved, will give your handset an out-of-this-world look.
“We’ve been working hard to capture the essence of this coming 2024 eclipse,” the company said Friday on its Facebook page. “In all the excitement we’ve made a very limited run of eclipse designs just for you!”
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Solar eclipse iPhone cases
We all know iPhones look gorgeous without cases, but sometimes you want (or need) a little protection. It’s easy to settle for something utilitarian like an Apple Silicone case (or an atrocity like an Apple FineWoven case). But finding a unique iPhone case that stands out in a sea of bland options can prove far more difficult.
Carved makes its cases out of hardwood and epoxy resin. The just-released ones in Carved’s eclipse collection look just as stunning as the others the company makes. And they’re one of a kind, so if you see one you like, you should snap it up now. Several have already sold out.
“Our Phone Cases are inspired by the beauty of our earth from the perspective of a satellite,” reads Carved’s description of the Brittney case, picture on the left above. “This phone case is 1 of One and is made in Elkhart, Indiana using real Ebony wood burl & epoxy resin.”
Carved’s solar eclipse iPhone cases cost around $60 and would make a perfect memento to help you remember the magical moment when the moon passes between the earth and the sun. Especially if you don’t get it together to take a proper solar eclipse photo. (Our how-to came help you snap the perfect eclipse pix: How to take solar eclipse photos with iPhone.)
On Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse will be visible across a swath of North America, from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the easternmost reaches of Canada. And in those few minutes of daytime darkness, all sorts of interesting phenomena are known to occur — phenomena NASA would like our help measuring.
During a total solar eclipse, temperatures may drop and winds may slow down or change their course. Animals have been observed to behave unusually — you might hear crickets start their evening chatter a few hours early. Even radio communications can be disrupted due to changes in the ionosphere while the sun’s light is blocked. And, the sun’s corona — its outermost atmosphere — will come into view, presenting scientists (and those of us helping them) with a rare opportunity to study this layer that’s normally invisible to the naked eye.
NASA has lots of research efforts planned for the eclipse, and has sponsored a handful of citizen science campaigns that anyone can take part in if they’re in or near the path of totality, or the areas where people on the ground can watch the sun become completely obscured by the moon. The path of totality crosses 13 US states, including parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. It’s an event of some significance; the next time a total solar eclipse passes over that much of the contiguous US won’t be until 2045.
All you’ll need to join in is equipment you already own, like a smartphone, and a few minutes set aside before the eclipse to go through the training materials.
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
Help measure the shape of the sun
One such citizen science project is , a concerted effort to measure the true shape of the sun. While the sun is closer to being a perfect sphere than other celestial bodies that have been observed, it’s still technically an oblate spheroid, being a smidge wider along its equator. The SunSketcher team plans to get a more precise measurement by crowd-sourcing observations of Baily’s Beads, or the little spots of sunlight that peek out from behind the moon at certain points in the eclipse.
The Baily’s Bead effect is “the last piece of the sun seen before totality and the first to appear after totality,” NASA explained in a . “For a few seconds, these glimmers of light look like beads along the moon’s edge.” They’re visible thanks to the uneven topographical features on the lunar surface.
You’ll need to download the free SunSketcher app, which is available for iOS and Android on the and . Then, a few minutes before totality (the exact time is location-dependent), put your phone on Do Not Disturb, hit “Start” in the app and prop up the phone in a place where it has a good view of the sun. After that, leave it be until the eclipse is over — the app will automatically take pictures of Baily’s Beads as they show up.
There’s a on the SunSketcher website if you want to familiarize yourself with the process beforehand. When it’s all said and done, the pictures will be uploaded to SunSketcher’s server. They’ll eventually be combined with observations from all over to “create an evolving pattern of beads” that may be able to shed better light on the size and shape of the sun.
The SunSketcher images probably won’t blow you away, so if you’re hoping to get some great pictures of the eclipse, you’ll want to have another camera on hand for that (with the appropriate filters to protect your eyes and the device’s sensors).
NASA / Aubrey Gemignani
Record changes in your surroundings
Eclipse-watchers can also use their smartphones to record the environmental changes that take place when the sun dips behind the moon as part of a challenge run by Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (Globe). You’ll need an air temperature thermometer as well for this task, and can start logging observations in the days before the eclipse if you feel like being extra thorough.
Temperatures at the surface can, in some cases, drop as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit during a total solar eclipse, according to NASA. And certain types of clouds have been observed to dissipate during these brief cooldowns, resulting in unexpectedly clear skies in the moments before totality. Data collected with the help of citizen scientists during the 2017 total solar eclipse showed that experienced a less extreme drop in surface temperatures.
To participate this time around, download the Globe Observer app from the or , and then open the Globe Eclipse tool from the in-app menu. There, you’ll be able to jot down your temperature measurements and take photos of the sky to record any changes in cloud cover, and make notes about the wind conditions. Plan to dedicate a few hours to this one — NASA asks that you include observations from 1-2 hours before and after the eclipse in addition to what you’ll record during. “You will measure temperature every 5-10 minutes and clouds every 15-30 minutes or whenever you see change,” NASA says.
You can keep using the Globe Observer app for citizen science beyond eclipse day, too. There are programs running all year round for recording observations of things like clouds, land use, mosquito habitats and tree heights. The eclipse tool, though, is only available when there’s an eclipse happening.
Listen to the sounds of wildlife
Observations going back nearly 100 years have added support to the idea that total solar eclipses temporarily throw some animals out of whack. Inspired by a 1935 study that gathered observations on animal behavior during an eclipse three years prior, the is inviting members of the public to take note of what they hear before, during and after totality, and share their findings.
To be an for the project, it’s recommended that you first sign up on the website and go through the brief training materials so you can get a sense of what type of information the project is looking for. The website also has printable field notes pages you can use to record your observations on eclipse day. You should start taking notes down at least 10 minutes before totality. Only after the eclipse is over will you need to fill out the webform to submit your observations along with your latitude and longitude.
If you happen to have an AudioMoth acoustic monitoring device and a spare microSD card lying around, you can go a step further and record the actual sounds of the environment during the eclipse as a . You’ll need to set everything up early — the project says to do it on Saturday, April 6 before noon — and let it record until at least 5PM local time on April 10. At that point, you can turn it off, submit your notes online and mail in the SD card. All of the details for submission can be found on the project’s website.
NASA
Take photos of the solar corona
The is an initiative designed to study the sun’s corona and plasma plumes from locations in the path of totality, building off of a previous campaign from the 2017 total solar eclipse. It’s already selected a team of 100 Science Team Alpha Recruits (STARs) who underwent training and were given 3D-printed tracking mounts for their cameras to shoot the best possible images. But, the project will still be accepting photo submissions from any enthusiasts who have a DSLR (and a solar filter) and want to participate.
The is pretty exhaustive, so don’t wait until eclipse day to start figuring out your setup. You’ll be able to submit your photos after the eclipse through a form on the website.
However you choose to spend the eclipse, whether you’re collecting data for a citizen science mission or just planning to kick back and observe, make sure you have everything in place well ahead of the time. While the partial eclipse phases will last over an hour, totality will be over and done in about 3.5-4.5 minutes depending on where you’re watching from. You wouldn’t want to miss out on some of that time because you were fumbling with your camera.
Totality will start shortly after 11AM local time (2PM ET) for western Mexico, moving northeastward over the subsequent two-or-so hours before exiting land near Newfoundland, Canada around 5:30PM local time. There will still be something to see for people outside the path of totality, too. Most of the US will be treated to a partial eclipse that day. You can find out exactly when the eclipse will be visible from your location with , along with the percentage of sun coverage you can expect to witness.
If you live in the US and missed the last total solar eclipse in 2017, good news! You’re about to get another chance. There will be a total solar eclipse passing through Texas and the Midwest states on April 8. Remember that in a solar eclipse, the moon’s shadow falls on the Earth. If you’re in this shadow, it’s going to look really weird. But also awesome.
Even if you’re not in the path of totality, you can still see something. All of the continental states will get at least a partial eclipse. (Check out the map here at NASA’s eclipse page.) And do I need to tell you this? Never look at the sun without special glasses, even when it’s mostly blocked by the moon. You may still be able to get some safe solar viewers before the big event.
But there’s another way to view the solar eclipse without glasses: using a pinhole projector. It’s super simple to make and easy to use. All you need is something flat like a piece of cardboard. Then you poke a hole in it with a pin. That’s pretty much it. When light from the sun passes through the hole, it will project an image onto some flat surface (like a sidewalk).
If you did this on a normal day you’d see a circular dot of light. You might think that’s because the hole is round. But during the eclipse you will see a crescent shape caused by the moon passing in front of the sun. It’s both awesome and safe for your eyes.
Actually, you don’t even need to make a pinhole viewer—they already exist all around us. If you stand under a tree, the small spaces between the leaves will act as pinholes to project a bunch of little crescent images. Here’s a picture I took during the 2017 eclipse:
Images of a solar eclipse projected through the gaps in overhead leaves.
Courtesy of Rhett Allain
Fun With Pinholes
Just for fun, here’s a question for you. Most pinholes are round (because pins have cylindrical shafts). But what if you replaced the circular hole with a square one? What shape would a round sun project onto the ground? Would it be a circle? Would it be a square? Or maybe it would be a squircle! What about a triangular hole? What would happen then?
I actually have a card from PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) that demonstrates this with three holes—circular, triangular and square. Check it out.
