Observe & capture
Six ways to watch, and how to capture it
From nothing but a pair of certified glasses to a tracking smart telescope, here is how to get the most out of the eclipse, with one rule that never changes: outside totality, the Sun is always dangerous to look at unprotected.
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Safety
The one rule that never changes
Sunlight is intense enough to burn the eye in seconds and blind without pain. Every method below is safe only with a certified filter in front of the optics, and the single exception is the naked eye during the brief totality, and only if you are inside the path. Read the full safety guide before the day.
At a glance
| Method | Detail | Photos | Ease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked eye | |||
| Eclipse glasses | |||
| Conventional telescope | |||
| UNISTELLAR Smart Telescope | |||
| Smartphone | |||
| Camera / DSLR |
Photographing a sunset eclipse
Because this eclipse happens with the Sun low in the west (very low over Spain), the most memorable images are often the wide ones: the eclipsed Sun small in a big, dusk-colored sky, over a recognisable horizon. A few practical notes that apply whatever you shoot with:
- Scout your western horizon in advance: a low Sun means a building, hill or haze band can hide the whole thing.
- Lock everything down. A tripod is essential at low light and long focal length; use a remote or timer to avoid shake.
- Expose for the scene, not the disc once totality begins: the corona and the sunset glow together are what make this eclipse unique.
- Don’t forget to look up. Totality lasts barely two minutes; frame one shot, then watch it with your own eyes.
A telescope that does science year-round
A connected UNISTELLAR telescope is the same instrument that powers the UNISTELLAR citizen-science network: with the SETI Institute, its community observes asteroid occultations, comets and exoplanets throughout the year. Read more about eclipses as science, or see exactly what unfolds minute by minute.