{"id":36296,"date":"2022-09-15T14:27:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T14:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=36296"},"modified":"2022-09-21T10:28:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T10:28:36","slug":"capture-image-the-partial-solar-eclipse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2022\/09\/15\/capture-image-the-partial-solar-eclipse\/","title":{"rendered":"Capture: Image the partial solar eclipse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Take the perfect astrophoto with our step-by-step guide <\/p>\n\n
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY <\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
CAPTURE<\/span>: Image the partial solar eclipse<\/h2>\n\n
How to safely capture the Moon crossing the Sun on 25 October <\/p>\n\n
A partial solar eclipse makes for a great photographic event as long as you put safety first <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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CAUTION <\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Never observe or image the Sun with the naked eye or any unfiltered optical instrument <\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n
The Moon will pass in front of a part of the Sun on the morning of 25 October, an event that will result in a partial solar eclipse. Partial solar eclipses, as their name suggests, don\u2019t cover the Sun\u2019s disc completely. As the greatest coverage will only be 24.5 per cent at best from mainland UK, the area of Sun that remains visible will pose a danger to eyesight and equipment. Consequently, great care needs to be taken to protect both. Here we\u2019ll look at some of the ways you can image the event safely. <\/p>\n\n
A partial solar eclipse lacks the majesty of a total eclipse. The effects that people spend thousands of pounds on chasing to remote parts of the world are absent during a partial. Although it does have additional interest, the same is largely true for an annular eclipse, where the Moon moves in front of the Sun but its apparent size is too small to block the Sun\u2019s light entirely. A layperson unaware that such an event was taking place probably wouldn\u2019t even give it a second thought. <\/p>\n\n
Getting the edge <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
Although there aren\u2019t many \u2018special effects\u2019 during a partial solar eclipse, there are still things to look out for. First contact is always exciting, noticing the first intrusion of the Moon in front of the Moon\u2019s disc being strangely satisfying. You may also have access to H-alpha filters, which can expand the experience. With an H-alpha filter it\u2019s possible to see the edge of the Moon move in front of what\u2019s known as the spicule layer, essentially the appearance of the chromosphere seen sideways-on at the edge of the Sun. Made up of many plasma jets, each around 10,000km in length, the tightly packed spicules create an edge to the H-alpha Sun that looks, for want of a better term, furry.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
The Moon\u2019s passage across the spicule layer will be brief, the layer appearing very narrow against the large apparent diameter of the Sun\u2019s main disc. However, the Holy Grail would be if there was a wellpositioned, well-timed prominence on show. Seeing the Moon pass across this would really give H-alpha setups an extra spectacle. <\/p>\n\n
But what if you don\u2019t have an exotic and, let\u2019s face it, expensive H-alpha filter to hand? Low-tech solutions exist too, thanks to the fact that the Sun\u2019s so bright. A piece of card with a 1\u20132mm hole in the centre will cast a shadow with an image of the Sun projected by the pinhole. This image can be safely photographed with something as basic as a smartphone. For a little more pazazz, consider making a series of holes to form a familiar pattern or shape. <\/p>\n\n
Natural effects occur too. Find a tree or bush with leaves on it and look at the points of sunlight that occur on the ground as the light passes through during the middle part of the eclipse \u2013 the leaves form irregular but still functional pinholes, the light cast on the ground forming a multitude of little eclipse images. We\u2019ve suggested a number of ways you might like to capture the event on the page opposite. All we need now is clear skies on 25 October! <\/p>\n\n
Equipment: Card, scissors, a sharp pin, telescope with a certified solar filter, camera <\/p>\n\n
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