| flash spectrum ...photography by Robert B Slobins |
General
Galleries
Astronomy Photos: Partial Solar Eclipses
I do not undertake special expeditions to observe partial eclipses. Unless the moon covers at least 3/4 of the sun, no one will readily notice any changes to the ambient light. If trees are in leaf, one may see crescents on the ground and walls as the leaves create natural pinhole cameras.
They are interesting when they occur near the horizon or can be viewed behind clouds thick enough to make an unusual composition. In a clear sky, one can watch the moon cover and uncover sunsports in white light or prominences, filaments and other solar magenetic features through hydrogen-alpha or calcium filters specially constructed to tune into their specific wavelengths. (See the flash spectrum image material in the total solar eclipse gallery for a brief discussion on wavelengths of chromospheric emission lines.)
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