As the 2017 Solar Eclipse prepares to take over the sky on August 21, we asked our friends and family, “Can I take a photo of the solar eclipse with my iPhone or Android phone?” we ask. This is how you can take pictures of the eclipse with your phone so your eyes and phone are safe and you have to do it right from the experts at Celestron and NASA.
Wherever you are in the US, you will see some of the eclipse, but you will only see a total eclipse in certain locations. This is how you can take photos of the eclipse with your phone, whether you’re traveling to see the total solar eclipse on its way to totality or simply heading outside of your location.
You can use these glasses to protect your phone’s camera to take pictures of Eclipse.
Go to the 100% eclipse area if possible. Bill Cooke, head of NASA Meteoroid Environment Office says“The difference between a 95% eclipse and a 100% eclipse is literally the difference between day and night. In any fragmented eclipse you do not experience the “wonderfulness” of wholeness. It’s hard to put into words, but when you experience a total solar eclipse you’ll know the difference. At 95%, you’ll hardly notice what’s going on – just a slight dimming of daylight.”
Keep in mind that your Solar Eclipse smartphone image will not be as beautiful as a professional image, but it is personal and will be on Facebook and Instagram seconds after the eclipse ends.
What You Need To Do To Take A Photo Of A Solar Eclipse On Your Phone
Just as you shouldn’t look directly at a solar eclipse without the right protection for your eyes, you shouldn’t take pictures without the right protection.
NASA warns that regular sunglasses are not safe to use to view the eclipse, and you shouldn’t rely on them for smartphone pictures of the eclipse either. You need ISO 12312-2 compliance solar eclipse and or a solar filter sheet. You can put the eclipse glasses shade over your phone’s camera lens to keep it safe and get a better picture.
Apple weighed in to tell America Today“You can point your iPhone at the sun right now to take a picture and the camera’s sensor and lens will not be damaged. And the same goes for the solar eclipse.”
NASA shares how you can damage your camera or phone camera if you don’t use the right equipment: “The argument that it’s not safe is that some of the newer smartphones use larger and faster lenses (f/1.7 to f/2.0) to get better resolution and this could be a problem.” The agency continues, saying that “there’s no reason you’d want to photograph the unfiltered solar disk because you’re not going to see anything but the sensor burst.” This is just a fancy way of saying that your photo will look awful and that if you don’t use the right tools you can damage your smartphone’s camera.
In addition to what you need, you should also consider getting a telephoto lens like the ones from Olloclip for your phone and invest in it. tripod or tripod adapter for your phone. Even though you don’t need these items, they will help you take a better photo. If you have a DSLR or camcorder with a larger zoom, this will give a better result. This the tripod above is from Arkon and works with a wide variety of phones.
How to Take a Photo of a Solar Eclipse with Your Phone
This guide works for taking pictures of the 2017 Solar Eclipse with iPhone and Android smartphones. Note that you will only have between 40 seconds and 2 minutes and forty seconds to see and photograph the solar eclipse. You can follow these steps by taking pictures of the moon for a similar goal. If you are on the path of wholeness, it will literally look like night, so you should practice on the moon.
You’ll want to hold the sun lens or glasses over the lens on your phone and point the phone at the eclipse. If you’re photographing before a total eclipse, be sure to wear eclipse glasses so your eyes aren’t hurt while looking at it. Here is useful Detailed video from Best Buy.
Once your phone is set up on an Olloclip or other telephoto lens, a sun filter, and a tripod or puff to keep it stable, you’re ready to go.
The screen will show a bright white speck as it tries to adjust the exposure automatically. On iPhone, you have to tap in the middle and swipe up or down on the sun to the right of the square. This will adjust your exposure. On Android you may want to find manual mode or search for a small slide to adjust exposure.
Take a photo while the eclipse is happening with the filter on. You will have to move your phone a bit to keep the sun in the frame. Use this if you have optical zoom, as on the iPhone 7 Plus, but you may not want to use digital zoom, which can add blur. If you are in the integrity zone, when this happens you can remove the filter and take a photo that way. When the eclipse starts to wane, put on the filter or put your phone aside and watch the rest.
Optionally, you can use an app like VSCO for iPhone or AZ Camera for Android To take your picture in RAW format for better result on your phone or computer.
Is It Safe To Take A Solar Eclipse Selfie?
If you don’t have eclipse glasses, there are posts on Facebook telling you to use your selfie camera to take Solar Eclipse selfies and watch the eclipse with your selfie camera instead of using the rear camera.
This Columbia University Medical Center It shares important details. “Many people will think it’s safe to take selfies when the eclipse is in the background because they’re not looking directly at the sun,” says retinal specialist Tongalp Tezel, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center. “What they may not understand is that your phone’s screen reflects the ultraviolet rays emitted during the eclipse directly into your eyes, which can cause sunburn.”
Dr. Tezel shares that Sir Isaac Newton looked at the reflection of a retinal-damaging solar eclipse on the surface of a pond. Tezel says the surface is “the archaic equivalent of a cell phone screen.”
Featured Image Credit NASA
