சூர்ய கிரகணம் (Solar Eclipse)

Warnings:

1. Never look at the Sun directly.
2. Never look at the Sun through a Telescope or Binoculars unless you have the
    proper Solar filters installed.
3. Never photograph the Sun (except Sunrises and Sunsets) through your camera.

#1 & #2 will cause permanent eye damage.
#3 will cause permanent camera damage.

Once I knew the Annular/Partial Solar Eclipse is on may 20th, I didn't want to miss it. The next one is 5 years away and may not be even visible from California. Good, this one fell on a weekend. Initially, I thought I will just watch it with everyone and enjoy it. As the date got closer and closer, the "shutterbug" started biting me more :)). I realized, I am completely unprepared to photograph the Eclipse.

I scrambled in the last minute and ordered 4 simple Solar Filters for us to look at the Eclipse safely.

I ripped out 2 of the filters and taped it to the old

Tele lens :))


















This is my first ever attempt to capture the Solar Eclipse. Enjoy :))

3:41 pm. Test shot, before the Eclipse began.

5:41 PM

5:50 PM

6: 03 PM

6:25 PM

6:37 PM

6: 48 PM

While the eclipse was progressing, Shreya  and I tried some simple experiments and had fun :))  If I was not able to rig up my lens, these are the only fotos you would have seen.

We made pin holes on an aluminum foil and projected the Sun's image

4:12 PM, befoe the Eclipse began.

6:09 PM

6:51 PM The peak of Eclipse.

Shreya's fingers formed a pin-hole camera :))

As the Sun started going down behind the houses, Sheila and I drove to the Hilltop Park nearby. The place was packed with people, watching and photographing the eclipse. One person had set up his telescope and projected the image of the Sun.

Projected image of the Sun

As we drove back, the Sun was setting behind the hills and offered a glorious view of the final stage of the eclipse :))