102 replies to this topic

[Kranenburg]

Thank you Jonathan!

 

The visual appearance of the eclipse is quite different, although no features are added or omitted. The moons dark disc is pitch black, I have not been able to see any detail on the disc. Perhaps the biggest difference is the light fall-ff from the lunar disc outward. This is a quadratic fall-off, so in reality the inner part is very bright, a ring-like structure, like you describe. To make larger coronal structures better visible, we try to reduce the light reduction and the ring is lost. This makes my image less 'visual'. Also the images are sharpened to bring out details. Prepare for a very different eclipse in 2024 compared to 2017. The streamers will be far more pronouned. The eclipse of 2017 was during a quit sun, right now the sun is raging with activity. I remember the eclipse of 2001, where the corona was starlike, with many streamers radiating out of the sun. Same for the eclipse of 2016, when the sun was average in activity. I vividly remember seeing one of the streamers in high contrast against the darker sky, something that was less noticable in 2017.

 

I'll see if a can re-process an image stack to bring out a more visual image

I Attached a file from the 2016 eclipse as well. Note the marked difference in coronal activity. The bright streamer at 3 o'clock was visually stunning.

Attached Thumbnails

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[Jhillphotos]

I Attached a file from the 2016 eclipse as well. Note the marked difference in coronal activity. The bright streamer at 3 o'clock was visually stunning.

Awesome images! The corona from 2016 & 2013 in Druckmuller's images are some of my favorite eclipse images due to just how unique and complex the structures were.

I'm just as excited to see the corona as I am to photograph it! I remember the 2017 experience so vividly, but the details of the corona itself besides the black disk have faded a good bit in my memory. I'm also just as excited to create a visually representative image as I am to produce a high res HDR! Eclipses sure are awesome

[Kranenburg]

A

 

Awesome images! The corona from 2016 & 2013 in Druckmuller's images are some of my favorite eclipse images due to just how unique and complex the structures were.

I'm just as excited to see the corona as I am to photograph it! I remember the 2017 experience so vividly, but the details of the corona itself besides the black disk have faded a good bit in my memory. I'm also just as excited to create a visually representative image as I am to produce a high res HDR! Eclipses sure are awesome

As am I! This is now my sixth eclipse and I have always been curious how many of the structures we image can actually be seen. The eclipse is too short too hold on to, but I found if I concentrate on the details I can retain them better. Like how many streamers are there? Can I see structure in the streamers? How many protuberanses are there and can I see any color? What is the color of the sky ect. That way it is more easy to retain some memories. But it is still hard. Fortunately for us this eclipse lasts twice as long.

[Domer]

I plan to be in Texas for the April eclipse and will be taking images with two optical trains, as shown below.  I would very much like to participate in this collaboration - to the extent that I can - and be able to use this software on the images I capture.  I'm fairly experienced in Python, but do not have access to MatLab.  Is there some way I can contribute?

 

[knightowl]

The corona is so challenging to properly display in a way that gives you a similar feeling as the real thing!! The most accurate images I've found for visual representation were taken by Nicolas here: https://hdr-astropho...naked-eye-view/
He gives instructions in his article on how to view the images on your computer screen to produce a similar experience. The first time I did this, it took me right back to 2017! So cool!! I'd definitely give it a shot.

Wonderful resource. Thank you!!!

[knightowl]

This would be my best effort for a visual impression. No sharpening was applied. The solar flare is washed out. I found it very difficult to discern any purple color visually, the flares are very bright. I once saw a flare through a maksutov telecope, but in my memory it was more yellowish green than red. A bright flare at the 2016 eclipse gave me a more white-blue impression.

The streamers were weak in the 2017 eclipse and I could hardly see them. As noted, this is expected to be very different in the 2024 eclipse.

 

I had plans to draw my visual impression as well, but I'm afraid I won't have time to run the camera's and draw it as well. I'm very interested in your results!

I will definitely post my drawing here after!

 

Part of my inspiration for this project comes from Howard Russel Butler's paintings of eclipses, which I saw at Princeton after the 2017 eclipse: https://artmuseum.pr...1923-california

I also have Butler's book "Painter and Space" from 1923 which details his technique. Wonderful book.

[knightowl]

We should all combine our various notes, drawings, and photographs afterward into a "naked eye image".

 

My wife and I will fly into San Antonio TX. We'll drive to wherever is best for viewing.

[JeremyVance86]

I'd like to help out with this in any way I can. I photographed the eclipse is 2017 with an automated four camera setup, but was never pleased with the processing results. I'm planning on using a similar setup in April and would really like to apply these new processing techniques to the photos to finally do them some justice

Edited by JeremyVance86, 20 March 2024 - 11:26 AM.

[ArnoM]

Hi, Francois,

 

Very interesting initiative!

 

I have imaged the 2017 eclipse and got this far with photoshop: https://www.flickr.c...157708807181381

 

I will be in the USA for the 2024 eclipse as well.

 

Unfortunately I have no experience with matlab or python, but perhaps a user friendly version could also be produced. I have a lot of raw data files if you would need test images.

 

Clear skies

 

Arnaud

Hey Arnaud, I think this is incredible result here !
I'm wondering how you got there with just Photoshop (was it ?) !!
Would you mind sharing the process you used to get such details ?

Thank you so much !

(also) Arnaud

[DelVento]

I plan to be in Texas for the April eclipse and will be taking images with two optical trains, as shown below.  I would very much like to participate in this collaboration - to the extent that I can - and be able to use this software on the images I capture.  I'm fairly experienced in Python, but do not have access to MatLab.  Is there some way I can contribute?

 

Eclipse Rig Details.jpg

 

Yes you can. We have somewhat suspended our technical discussion of what to do for the processing, because we are all in full swing to make sure we get the best possible capture, but we'll resume after the event. By the way where will you be staying? I'll be in Leakey.

[Kranenburg]

Hey Arnaud, I think this is incredible result here !
I'm wondering how you got there with just Photoshop (was it ?) !!
Would you mind sharing the process you used to get such details ?

Thank you so much !

(also) Arnaud

Hi Arnaud,

 

Thank you for your compliments. Unfortunately it is difficult to give a straightforward answer to your question. It has been 7 years, and to be quite honest, I don't know exactly how id did it then anymore. In the meantime I have been testing new methods and ideas, which I want to test on the forthcoming eclipse. So it is a bit difficult to get into the exact state of mind back then.

But I can give you an outline off course. Back then I made a number of 5 exposures. 2 off them showed movement (a unfortunate combination of wind and long exposures). So I worked with the 3 remaining sets. I first stacked the images of the same exposure time. First I aligned them manually on Regulus and nu Leonis. I assumed (wrongly, but with an acceptable error) that the corona would be stationary relative to the stars. I placed each image as a layer above the previous and set the layer to difference. Differences in alignment are visible if the difference layer is not dark. I make them as dark as possible by moving the top layer. At it's darkest, the layers are aligned. Then I stackes all layers to remove noise.

 

Then I use a method similar to the one Sean Walker describes here: https://skyandtelesc...otality-in-hdr/ I used an older methods, which I cannot find anywhere on the net anymore, but this one is similar enough. With these methods you will combine the different exposures into a single image and apply sharpening to bring out the details

 

In another version I used a old stacking program called registax 5 to align and stack the images. Registax has also a powerful wavelet sharpening tool that brings out fine detail. I used this method and combined it with the above to make different versions and kept on going until I found it was 'right'.

 

I think the trick is to keep on going and trying to improve on your first attempts. You'll get better and better at it, making more accurate alignments and better sharpening each time until you end up with a good image.

 

Just for reference, I attached my first try: https://www.flickr.c...eposted-friend/

 

We'll get our our chances on the new eclipse soon enough (weather permitting) and I'm very excited to see if I can improve on the previous eclipse.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Arnaud

Edited by Kranenburg, 30 March 2024 - 01:00 PM.

[ArnoM]

Thanks Arnaud !
I think the key was using Registax, I don't remember if I tried that by then... I also gave it several shots and was pretty happy with the final result (larson-sekanina filter was the key for me to get the most out of the corona details), but I'm hoping to do better of course this year !

I'm following this thread with excitement and I hope you guys will manage to sort this out !

I'd be very glad to help but have only really basic knowledge of maths and scripting... Though I'd be happy to help testing the scripts out in the alpha  / beta versions with the various material I got. If that can be of any help let me know !

 

Best of luck and clear skies to everyone

[Anhydrite]

Hello team.

 

I have been lurking this thread for a while.  I would love to help once you start back up.

 

Looking forward to what the team has produced!

[Domer]

Alas, high wispy clouds in Indianapolis utterly destroyed all the fine details I was hoping to capture.  All light was diffused and anything that was bright just bloomed.   I won't have any useful images that would yield the high quality HDR results that I was seeking.

[Kranenburg]

I was lukcky to get a break in the clouds at around the start of totality.

I think most of my higher resolution photo's (60 mm takahashi at 600 mm wirh OM-1) camera are sharp and cloud free.

I'm still in the USA, I will have a better look once I'm back home in Europe.

Arnaud

[Kranenburg]

These are my preliminary results, straight ftom the camera:

https://www.flickr.c...eposted-friend/

and


https://www.flickr.c...eposted-friend/

Arnaud

[Domer]

These are my preliminary results, straight ftom the camera:

https://www.flickr.c...eposted-friend/

and


https://www.flickr.c...eposted-friend/

Arnaud

Nicely done! 

[Domer]

I managed to cobble together a time lapse video and posted it here.  You can see the effects of the thin clouds as they pass over the partials, and especially on the images of Baily's Beads and Diamond Ring. 

 

The images used to create this video were captured with an Esprit 100 at 360mm (f/3.6) and an ASI2600MC-Pro camera.  They were of much higher quality than what I got with the Canon 6D MkII and Sigma 150-600mm lens (at 600mm), although getting the color balance right was tricky as the ASI2600 captures everything with a strong green tint.

[Kranenburg]

I managed to cobble together a time lapse video and posted it here. You can see the effects of the thin clouds as they pass over the partials, and especially on the images of Baily's Beads and Diamond Ring.

The images used to create this video were captured with an Esprit 100 at 360mm (f/3.6) and an ASI2600MC-Pro camera. They were of much higher quality than what I got with the Canon 6D MkII and Sigma 150-600mm lens (at 600mm), although getting the color balance right was tricky as the ASI2600 captures everything with a strong green tint.

[Kranenburg]

Also very nice!

I suppose more results will be coming in now that people will be enhancing their data.

[Jhillphotos]

These are my preliminary results, straight ftom the camera:

https://www.flickr.c...eposted-friend/

and


https://www.flickr.c...eposted-friend/

Arnaud

Excellent images Arnaud! The sharpness is great, you definitely nailed the focus. That Tak sure is a nice scope! How did your longer exposures turn out?

[Kranenburg]

Thank you. I'm very happy with the results, considering the uncertainty of the weather conditions.
Other dan these images from bursts during 2nd and 3rd contact I have sets of 5 different longer exposures that look sharp, as far as I can see. Zeta Piscium is wel separated and point-like.
Once I'm back in europe I can better judge whether they are completely cloud-free, but I feel confident.

How were your ecperiences?

[andysea]

I've been following this thread with great interest. I did not make it to the 2024 eclipse but I have some great data from 2017. Is there a way to get the phase correlation alignment code? I have Matlab as a trial for 30 days so I thought I would give it a shot and also practice for the 2026 eclipse in Europe.

 

Thank you for any pointers!

Edited by andysea, 24 April 2024 - 08:30 PM.

[Domer]

Thank you. I'm very happy with the results, considering the uncertainty of the weather conditions.
Other dan these images from bursts during 2nd and 3rd contact I have sets of 5 different longer exposures that look sharp, as far as I can see. Zeta Piscium is wel separated and point-like.
Once I'm back in europe I can better judge whether they are completely cloud-free, but I feel confident.

How were your ecperiences?

This is the best I could achieve with the thin cloud cover in Indianapolis:

 

[Jhillphotos]

Thank you. I'm very happy with the results, considering the uncertainty of the weather conditions.
Other dan these images from bursts during 2nd and 3rd contact I have sets of 5 different longer exposures that look sharp, as far as I can see. Zeta Piscium is wel separated and point-like.
Once I'm back in europe I can better judge whether they are completely cloud-free, but I feel confident.

How were your ecperiences?

That's great to hear. I'm looking forward to seeing the other images you create! I would consider my trip a success (despite some mistakes I won't mention). We pulled a last minute audible and moved from Texas to NE Arkansas and it was well worth it. We had almost cloudless skies during totality and I think only a few of my frames have thin clouds in them. Overall, got some great data to work with and I I can produce some great images. I'll be sharing my work and some details on the acquisition & processing on my AstroBin when the images are complete.