Cookie wants to run north about 50 miles and get precisely on the totality centerline for some pics on Monday. Did not want to spend $500 on a filter for her big lens, so fabricated one from cardboard and a sheet of the mylar stuff that's used for the glasses. Took me about 4 hours and a lot of French to assemble a workable unit. Went out a few moments ago to work out the exposure stuff just aiming directly at the sun. This is with a Canon EOS 70 D (crop sensor) so the lens effectively becomes an 800 mm unit. Added on her 1.4 extender and that converts it to 1,120 mm unit. Those blotches from center toward 07:30 are sun spots.



After examinging several variations she has settled on settings of 1/320 second at F5.6. The mylar takes things to the orange side, but we can play with the colors later on. Not too bad for a redneck approach. We'll be able to remove the mylar during totality, so might get some more realistic color and perhaps be a little sharper during that 2-minute interval. Becoming a little more confident that she might get some good images of the process. Will do shots at about 10-minute intervals during the entire event and about 10-second intervals during the totality window. Now if the Oregon fires will just send their smoke in another direction, life will be good.

Have a good one, and remember don't look at the sun without protection.

Those who watch may go blind.

Have to remember that's a potential causative factor the next time I'm kidded about my need for glasses.

but you can retire wealthy if you can prove that Walmart sold you a pair of fake glasses. Might screw with your hunting, though.

I remember them saying I would go blind from other things too...

I heard, a welding helmet is fine. For watching the eclipse that is, not that other thing.

You might need an automatic hood for that. The better ones have a setting for grinding....

wouldn't you see the same thing if you looked up at the night sky with no moon?

This occurrence will be directly over my home in Greenville, SC but I will be in Virginia!!

The new moon happens to be on the 21st as well!

My view of a total eclipse will be better about midnight.

The view I have at the one earlier will just be 67%..

I forget, and likely could not spell it, there is something about the rays, or something, that is different from even looking at the sun at other times. (?)

There are some solar flares that radiate out from the sun, and they're not typically visible until the over powering light from the sun is blocked. Could be what you're thinking of.

Edited: Pirated this from a NASA website:


I've seen similar images elsewhere composed by pros with high end equipment. From memory, some were composites made by sandwiching about 10 to 20 images together.

Hope you can get some good pics of that. (And post them if inclined. That would be great! )

Back in '79 it was well advertised to use a roll of B&W film. Pull the film out, let it expose in the sun; cut in 8 or 9 inch lengths, 24 exposure is enough to put across several people's face. Something about the silver coating on BW film is what does the filtering. Google can elaborate.

Watch it through the bottom of a dark whiskey glass

Found a link to a site with hundreds of images.

Link to 100's of eclipse images

Most excellent Sir.

I have a welding helmet should be fine i would think

Some welding helmets are not enough protection.