What will happen to the Moon on April 8, 2024?
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The U.S. is just two years away from the next total solar eclipse, a rare astronomical phenomenon where the moon completely blocks the sun. Show
WASHINGTON — Mark your calendars! A solar eclipse stretching across a large portion of the country will grace the sky in two years on April 8, 2024. A solar eclipse occurs at the exact moment when the moon passes between the sun and Earth blocking the sun's light. The short time when the moon completely blocks the sun is known as the period of totality. Instead of stretching coast-to-coast like the 2017 "Great American Eclipse", the path of totality for 2024's event largely covers the eastern half of the United States. Portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Maine, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine will see 100% totality. Areas further away from the path of totality will see decreased blockage of the sun. According to Forbes, 32 million people live within the path of totality for the 2024 eclipse, compared to just 12 million who lived within the 2017 path. The start of totality will begin in Texas just before 1:30 p.m. CT and end in Maine just after 3:30 p.m. ET.  Some of the major cities in the path of totality include Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo and Syracuse. Before reaching the U.S., the April 2024 eclipse will go through parts of Mexico and continue through the eastern portion of Canada. Opposite of a solar eclipse is a lunar eclipse, which is when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon. A total solar eclipse in the United States isn't an everyday occurrence. The last major solar eclipse in the United States occurred on Aug. 21, 2017. That was the first solar eclipse visible from the 48 contiguous states since 1979. It was also the first eclipse to stretch coast-to-coast since 1918. A total solar eclipse is an event you need to live (and photograph) at least once in your life. As the Moon covers the Sun completely, the temperature drops, darkness surrounds you and wild animals go quiet... It's a strange and magical moment at the same time. It cannot be described with words, you must live it. The good news is... One of the next big total solar eclipses will occur on April 8, 2024 in Mexico, the US and Canada. The 2024 total solar eclipse is the next great American eclipse. Don't miss it! In this guide you'll find everything you need to photograph the 2024 total solar eclipse with success. Everything!
Ready? Keep reading! "The sun loves to be eclipsed" – Marty Rubin. Total Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024: The Photography Guide Get this ebook for free now! Content
1.What is a total solar eclipse?A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth completely covering the solar disk. And thus, casting it's full shadow (the umbra) on some parts of our planet. There are other types of solar eclipses (partial, annular and hybrid). If you wish to learn more about these particular events, when they occur and how to photograph them, please check our detailed solar eclipses photography guide. During a total solar eclipse, as the Moon moves, its full shadow also moves across Earth, creating what is known as the "path of totality". In other words, if you wish to photograph a total solar eclipse, you need to be in a location within the path of totality. Period! From the path of totality, you'll be able to photograph all the phases of the solar eclipse:
Photographing all the eclipse phases and phenomenons (Baily's beads, diamond ring, Sun's corona and Sun's chromosphere) is so much fun. In section 5 I'll explain to you how to photograph all of them step by step. Outside the path of totality, there are places where you can photograph the partial eclipse and places where the eclipse is not visible. So... The question is... Where exactly should you go and when to photograph the April 8 2024 total solar eclipse? Easy! Keep reading... Because in the next section, I'll show you how to use PhotoPills to figure it out in just seconds :) 2.When and where is the Annular Solar Eclipse visible?The April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse will be completely visible (all phases) in Mexico, the US and Canada. The partial solar eclipse will be visible from Mexico, the US, Canada, Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, UK and Spain. And here you have a table with the total eclipse times (and duration of totality) for some of the cities that fall within the path of totality. These are great places to photograph all the phases of the 2024 total solar eclipse.
Note: Time is shown in Hours:Minutes:Seconds. I've created the table above using the eclipse information provided by the Planner tool included in PhotoPills. PhotoPills helps you plan your photos ahead of time so you're always are the right place at the right time to capture the best photo possible. This includes Sunset, Sunrise, golden hour, blue hour, Moon, solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, Star Trails, Meteor Showers and Milky Way photos. Curious? Check out the pictures that the PhotoPills community is capturing. And if you're one of us, use PhotoPills to get all the eclipses info you need. Visualize the path of totality on the map. Decide where to go to photograph it and get all the key solar eclipse phase times in seconds. Just follow these steps:
Now that you know how to use PhotoPills to figure out:
It's time to start planning your 2024 total solar eclipse photo. In the next section, you'll find everything you need to come up with the perfect plan for the perfect shot. 3.How to plan a photo of the 2024 total solar eclipse step by step"Toni, I'm still a bit confused... What does planning a photo mean?" Thanks for the question. It's a very good one. Let me give you the answer... Photography planning is the art of finding the right shooting spot, and the right shooting date and time the photo you have in mind actually occurs... So you can go and capture it! In other words, planning helps you get back home with a greater number of stunning images. For instance... Maybe you have a location in mind and wish to photograph the perfect Sunset. Maybe you want to photograph the Moon aligned with a cool lighthouse you know. Maybe you're a Milky Way lover and you want to photograph our galaxy arching above a beautiful rock formation you just discovered. Maybe you want to photograph the 2024 total solar eclipse aligned with a powerful subject, like Ted Hesser did during the 2017 total solar eclipse. Photo by Ted Hesser. Maybe you're planning to photograph all the phases of the 2024 total solar eclipse and need to figure out where to go and when, like I did during the same 2017 total solar eclipse in Oregon, USA. Or maybe you want to use a shorter focal length to include the landscape in your 2024 eclipse Photo. That's what I did during the 2017 total solar eclipse. Solar eclipse base photo: 1.3s Partial eclipse pictures: 1/25s | Solar filter No matter the photo you want to capture, if you master the art of planning, you'll be able to figure out whether that particular image is possible or not. And if it's in fact possible, you'll be able to capture it. Watch this video to learn how to easily plan any solar eclipse photo you imagine. After that, you can go and capture it! In the video you'll see Rafa (the Bard of PhotoPills) planning the 2020 total solar eclipse in Chile. All you have to do is to follow the same workflow for the 2024 total solar eclipse ;) Also, if you want to learn more on how to plan a solar eclipse, check sections 4 and 5 of our super detailed solar eclipses photography guide. Well... Now that you know how to plan your total solar eclipse photo... Do it! Come up with a cool photo idea and plan it. Find your shooting spot and shooting time. And then, have a look at the next section. It contains all the gear you need to photograph the eclipse. 4.All the equipment you need to photograph the 2024 total solar eclipseLong story short... This is the gear you need to photograph the total solar eclipse:
Solar filterA solar filter is required when you're photographing the partial phase of a solar eclipse. It prevents the Sun rays from damaging your camera. And most important, it prevents the Sun rays from damaging your eyes when looking through the viewfinder of your camera. But... And this is key! Don't use a solar filter when you're photographing totality and all its cool effects (Baily's beads, diamond ring, Sun's corona and Sun's chromosphere). Otherwise you'll get an underexposed image. So, remember to remove the solar filter when totality is about to begin. Are you looking for a solar filter? You'll find good solar filters on Amazon, B&H and at your local camera store. Make sure you buy a solar filter that fits the diameter of your lens. My solar filters are:
Can you use an ND filter instead? You can, but the risk of damaging your camera is there. If I were you, I wouldn't use a ND filter to photograph a solar eclipse. LensThe lens choice depends on the photo you want to capture. Use a short focal length (14-35mm) if you want to include the landscape. The Sun will be a small dot in your photo, but you can make it work in your composition. Use a long focal length (200-500mm) for a close-up view and create a powerful image of the eclipse aligned with a subject. Or to photograph all the phases of the eclipse. CameraUse your camera! You don't need a special camera to photograph the eclipse. The advantage of using a crop sensor camera vs a full frame camera is the focal length multiplier effect. For instance, using a APS-C camera with a 1.5x crop sensor, a 200mm focal length turns into a 300mm focal length. Tripod and headThe solar filter, the camera and the lens are heavy. Therefore you need a sturdy tripod and head capable of bearing the weight, and that are as stable as possible on a windy day. Shutter release or intervalometerDon't press the shutter button of your camera! If you do so, you'll shake your camera and your images won't be 100% tack sharp. And you want them crispy and sharp! Always use a shutter release or and intervalometer. Memory cards and batteriesDon't forget to bring several memory cards and spare batteries just in case something goes wrong. Eclipse glassesAnd last but not least... Protect your eyes. And that's it... This is all the gear you need. Let's see now how to use it to photograph a total solar eclipse. 5.How to photograph the 2024 total solar eclipse step by stepOn April 8, 2024, arrive at the planned location ahead of time. Ideally, get there before the partial phase of the eclipse begins. Then, place the tripod and head right at the shooting spot. This is the Red Pin position in your PhotoPills plan. Attach your desired lens to your camera. Set the camera to shoot in RAW. Turn off the lens stabilization. And follow the following steps depending on the photo you want. Partial solar eclipseThese are the steps to photograph a partial solar eclipse:
Diamond ringThese are the steps to photograph the Diamond ring during a total solar eclipse:
Baily's beadsThese are the steps to photograph the Baily's beads during a total solar eclipse:
Sun's coronaThese are the steps to photograph the Sun's corona during a total solar eclipse:
Sun's chromosphereThese are the steps to photograph the Sun's chromosphere during a total solar eclipse:
Including the landscape in the solar eclipse photo (totality)During totality, if you wish to include the landscape in the photo follow these steps:
Focus the attention on your subject (during totality)To include an interesting subject in your solar eclipse photo follow these steps:
6.Your turn...If you're reading these final words... It means that you know everything you need to imagine, plan and shoot a truly LEGENDARY photo of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. It's time to take action! Come up with a cool eclipse photo idea and plan it. And on April 8, 2024 you'll be at the right spot at the right time to capture it. If you need more help during the process, please leave a comment below. I'm ready to help! Also, If you want to photograph other solar eclipses (annular, hybrid, total) or you feel like learning more about solar eclipse photography, please check our super detailed solar eclipse photography guide. And if you want to improve your photography, make sure to have a closer look at our collection of free photography guides. I'm sure you'll love them ;) Oh! And if you go and photograph the 2024 total solar eclipse, please submit your photo to the PhotoPills Awards. We'd love to feature it for everyone to see... And you can win a prize! Plan & Pray! Antoni Cladera is a landscape photographer with commitment to the environment. Artist of the Spanish Confederation of Photography and member of the Spanish Association of Nature Photographers (AEFONA). He's part of the PhotoPills Team. Note: Some links on this page are affiliate links. What does this mean? If you buy/rent using these links you're helping support us and it costs you nothing extra. Thank you for your support. Total Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024: The Photography Guide Get this ebook for free now! What will the phase of the moon be on April 8, 2024?The Moon phase for April 8th, 2024 is the New Moon phase. In this phase, the moon is positioned between the Sun and Earth and is 0% illuminated (i.e the moon is not visible to us in the sky).
What will happen on 8th April 2024?A total solar eclipse will take place at the Moon's ascending node on Monday, April 8, 2024, visible across North America and dubbed the Great North American Eclipse (also Great American Total Solar Eclipse and Great American Eclipse) by some of the media.
What happens if you look at a solar eclipse?Exposing your eyes to the sun without proper eye protection during a solar eclipse can cause “eclipse blindness” or retinal burns, also known as solar retinopathy. This exposure to the light can cause damage or even destroy cells in the retina (the back of the eye) that transmit what you see to the brain.
Is there a total solar eclipse in 2022?The solar eclipse of October 25, 2022, was a partial solar eclipse visible from Europe, the Urals and Western Siberia, Central Asia, Western Asia, South Asia and from the north-east of Africa.
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