How to take pictures of the solar eclipse on April 8
Experts say there are a few things to keep in mind to keep your camera and eyes safe when viewing the rare celestial event on April 8.
According to the Kitchener-Waterloo Chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the April 8 total solar eclipse will be the first in this area since 1925 – and there won’t be one again until 2144.
It will be a picture-perfect moment – if done correctly.
“If you’re trying to zoom directly into the sun it’s going to be washed out on an iPhone,” said photographer Thom Taylor.
Looking at a digitized view of the eclipse through your smartphone won’t hurt your eyes but it could seriously damage the device, according to Taylor.
“Magnifying the sun through that lens is going to burn a little hole in the sensor and then you’ll have a sun spot that never goes away,” he said.
For those using a digital single-lens camera, Taylor suggests purchasing a neutral density filter to help reduce the amount of light coming through the lens.
“During that total eclipse you can remove the filter. Any camera, any phone would then be able to use and see the eclipse, but only during that like four minutes of totality,” Taylor said.
The gear Taylor will be using to capture the eclipse costs around $700 to buy.
If you’re not looking to break the bank, he suggests ditching your camera all together and wearing the proper eyewear to keep yourself safe.
“Live in the moment. Be with the people that are there, see the eclipse for yourself, get some eclipse glasses so you can actually watch it. You want to have those memories of the eclipse and experiencing it with the people that are around you,” he said.
Another tip: use your protective lenses over your camera.
“You can just take another set of the same lenses that you’re using to look at the sun and just put it in front of your camera lens and that’ll filter it for your camera,” said Bill Archer, from the Canadian Space Agency.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.