The preparations continue

It's been a while now, and I have to apologize for keeping you waiting so long.

The reports in the media are getting more and more and we are now very happy that we have done everything
I have already written about.
We have secured our car, flight and accommodation and don't need to worry about it anymore. We are covered!
In this blog, I would like to take another look at those who are staying at home on April 8, 2024. Specifically in my hometown of Jasper, AL.. But also to friends up north in Minnesota from where my son-in-law Brett is leaving for Texas with me.

Here are two pictures for you with lots of information about the eclipse in two major American cities. :-)
(What is really important for you here are the events and the times)

As no total solar eclipse will be visible at either location, we would like to remind you once again that you must protect yourself with suitable solar glasses at all times.
Since both Jasper, AL and Minneapolis, MN are in the same time zone and just a few degrees in longitude away from each other, there are no major time differences during the individual phases..

However, it gets darker in Jasper than in the north. In Jasper we are talking about an obscuration of around 88%, whereas in Minneapolis it is only around 73%. But still enough to admire this unique event.
As a small hint: even in Seattle, WA you can still observe an almost 20% obscuration.

So we are really talking about the "Great American Eclipse"

There are a lot of people who deal with the "great American" and who make it possible for us to find a lot of detailed information on the Internet.
We have already provided you with many details in the last blogs and are also happy to provide you with all the necessary tips and data for your experience on April 8, 2024. YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Just write your questions via the contact form, contact us via Facebook or Instagram.

There is probably no rule of thumb for the right camera settings for a total solar eclipse.
A lot of it is experience. So please practice, practice, practice!
The image for this blog on my website comes from my camera and was post-processed in Lightroom.
Why? The filters I use are so-called 'white light filter’. So the sun will always be WHITE in the picture.

If someone asked you to draw the sun, you would probably reach for a yellow pencil without hesitation.
The question of what color the sun really is is not so easy to answer. However, the fact that the sun appears yellow to us, or reddish orange at dusk and dawn, has little to do with the actual color of the sun.
The color impression perceived by the human eye is caused by atmospheric influences and does not reflect the true color of the sun. From an astrophysical point of view, the sun should actually be white. As a so-called black body radiator, it emits light in all spectral colors.. Think about the rainbow…

300 mm with a 1/100000th 5.0 ND filter, f 5,6 - 1/1250 s - ISO 200

If the total solar eclipse is reached and the so-called corona becomes visible, you can remove the filter from the lens and take off the glasses and set the shutter speed down to 1/50 s or 1/80 s.
Tip: If you have a camera that allows you to set exposure stacking, set -2 +2 stops and take three photos.
(or more - if your camera allows it)
If you can only see a partial solar eclipse, as in Jasper or Minneapolis - here the glasses must always be worn and the filters must remain on the lens.

But the question still remains: Where can I get the free solar glasses?
We have 100 pairs of solar glasses that we would like to give you. We will explain exactly how you can get your hands on a pair of glasses in the next blog.

Unfortunately, you'll have to be patient until then.

Until next time.