[Leica] Don't photograph the eclipse

[lrzeitlin at aol.com]

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last year you know that on August 21 a total eclipse of the sun will take place in the USA, the shadow of the moon sweeping in a 70 mile wide diagonal path from Oregon to Charleston, SC. Many of my photographic friends, knowing that my first college degree was in Astronomy and that I built two fairly decent telescopes, hve asked me how I am going to photograph the eclipse. They are taken aback by my answer - DON’T BOTHER, JUST LOOK. WATCH IT ON TV.

But it’s an EVENT they aay, just like the Superbowl or the final game in the World Cup. That’s probably true, but remember, even at those EVENTS you get a better view on TV than sitting in the stands. Remember that the image on your camera’s sensor is only about 9 percent of the focal length of the lens. Unless you have a 1000mm telephoto or one of the old 600mm mirror lenses kicking around, your best viewing tool is a pair of binoculars (with suitable solar filters, of course). NASA intends to use high flying aircraft with expensive taxpayer funded camera gear to track the eclipse. There will be several NOVA programs devoted to the eclipse. Watch them. You don’t even need solar glasses.

By the way, this is not sour grapes. I was invited by the Clemson University Astronomy department to view the eclipse, and deliver a lecture. The campus is smack bang in the center of the path but I declined. Why fight 35 mile long traffic jams and exhorbitant hotel and food costs when I can get a better view sitting in my living room sipping a cold beer.

Larry Z