The Beginning of Totality

This composite image shows the stages of the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. From left: 1. 50% partial eclipse, 2. 90% partial eclipse 5 minutes from start of totality, 3. diamond ring, 7 seconds from start of totality, 4. Bailey’s beads, 1 second from start of totality, 5. totality.

The drastic change in brightness during a total solar eclipse requires the use of protective equipment and a wide range of exposure settings. The first two images were taken with a solar filter, placed in front of the lens, that allowed only 1/100000 of the light through. Images 3 and 4 were taken at similar exposure settings, but without the solar filter. The last image was taken with 4 stops of additional exposure to capture the details of the corona.