A few minutes before the start of the eclipse I did some test exposures of the uneclipsed Sun using the D850 DSLR (f/8, ISO 800, White Balance 5560K, Focal Length 600mm) to check exposure settings. I had planned to use a shutter speed of 1/1600sec, but due to some thin cirrus clouds, I decided to bracket the exposures (1/1000sec, 1/1250sec, 1/1600sec).

The montage shows the partial phases (1/1250sec) every 15 minutes as the Moon moved from the west (right) to the east (left). The Diamond Ring and Prominences photos are 1/1600sec (cropped). The Corona image in between the partial phases in the montage is 1/30sec. Corona with Earthshine Moon is 1/10sec.

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I used the iOS app Solar Snap on my iPhone 15 Pro Max to take these handheld photos. I held my eclipse glasses over the camera lenses for the partial phases.

So, how did I do on my goals of seeing and photographing the Total Solar Eclipse of 8 April 2024 from my hometown of Seymour, Indiana, and seeing and photographing the Diamond Ring?

As Totality began and ended, I saw and photographed the Diamond Ring from my hometown. During Totality, two prominences (3 o'clock and 5 o'clock) were easily seen with the naked eye. The planets Jupiter and Venus were visible to the naked eye. Unfortunately, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was too faint to be seen with the eye.

My niece Linda took these videos and photo using her iPhone 13 mini.

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As hoped, experiencing a Total Solar Eclipse was awesome. Seeing it from my hometown with my wife and my extended family made it a lot more special!!!

Go back to the An Awesome Total Solar Eclipse Experience April 2024 report.

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