MEXICO CITY, February 16 (EL UNIVERSAL).- On April 8, the Solar Eclipse 2024 will take place, and on this occasion Mexico will be the protagonist for a particular reason.
According to Gregory Schmidt, scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Mazatlán, Sinaloa will be the best place in the world to witness the 2024 Solar Eclipse and stated that this event “will not be repeated in this area until in 300 years.”
In addition to this, the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT), through the Mexican Space Agency (AEM), reported that it will work together with the US space agency and the Mazatleca Astronomical Society, in the educational activity “Total Eclipse of Sun – April 2024”.
The astronomical phenomenon will begin at 9:51 a.m. (Central Mexico).
For its part, NASA shared five tips to photograph the Eclipse perfectly.
1. Safety first
To take images while the Sun is eclipsed, you will need to use a special solar filter to protect your camera, just as you will need a pair of eclipse glasses to protect your own eyes.
Having other pieces of photography equipment can also be helpful during the eclipse. Using a tripod can help you stabilize your camera and avoid taking blurry images during low-light times. Additionally, using a shutter release timer will allow you to take photos without moving the camera.
2. Any camera is a good camera
Taking an impressive photo has more to do with the person taking the photo than the camera. Whether you have a state-of-the-art DSLR camera or a camera phone, you’ll be able to take great photos during the eclipse; After all, the best equipment you can have is a good eye and vision for the image you want to create. If you don’t have a telephoto zoom lens, focus on taking landscape photos that capture the changing environment.
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3. Look up, down and around you
While the Sun is the most dominant element of an eclipse, remember to look around you. As the Moon passes in front of the Sun, the landscape will be bathed in long shadows, creating a ghostly illumination throughout the landscape. Light filtering through the overlapping leaves of the trees creates natural pinholes, which will also create miniature replicas of the eclipse on the ground. Wherever you can point your camera will allow you to get exceptional images, so be sure to compose some wide-angle photos that can capture your eclipse experience.
NASA photographer Bill Ingalls recommended focusing on the human experience of observing the eclipse. “The real images will be people around you pointing, gawking and staring at you,” Ingalls said. “Those will be great moments to capture and show the emotion of the whole event.”
4. Practice
Make sure you know the capabilities of your camera before the day of the eclipse. Most cameras, and even many camera phones, have adjustable exposures, which can help you darken or lighten your image during the difficult eclipse lighting. Make sure you know how to manually focus the camera to get sharp shots.
For DSLR cameras, the best way to determine the correct exposure is to test the settings beforehand on the uneclipsing Sun. Using a fixed aperture of f/8 to f/16, try shutter speeds between 1/1000 and 1/4 second to find the optimal settings, which you can then use to take images during the partial or annular stages of the eclipse.