(NEXSTAR) — The upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8 will be a once-in-a-lifetime sight for millions of Americans, many of whom might try to capture the moment on camera. But photography experts warn that pointing your smartphone at the sky may cause damage to your device.
It’ll also likely result in less-than-stellar photos of the sun.
Adam Gallardo, the manager at B&C Camera in Las Vegas, told Nexstar’s KLAS in 2023 that he had been bombarded with questions about the safety of photographing the sun ahead of the annular solar eclipse in October of that year.
“Digital cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, even your phone […] all have sensors,” Gallardo said. “It’s really not a good idea to point them directly to the sun, especially during this solar eclipse without the proper equipment.”
The danger, according to experts, concerns aiming your camera’s lens toward the sun’s rays. And just like those rays might damage your eyes, they too can overwhelm the sensors in your sensitive photo equipment without some sort of solar filter over the lens.
“The filter that protects the phone is exactly the same as the glasses that protect you,” Doug Duncan, an astronomer with the University of Colorado at Boulder, previously explained to Nexstar’s KXAN.
The good news is that solar filters made for smartphones are relatively inexpensive, with some available for under $10 at major national retailers. NASA even says you can simply hold a pair of ISO-certified eclipse glasses over the phone’s camera lens when taking photos. (The space agency warns, however, that you should never look through a camera or binoculars while wearing eclipse glasses over your eyes, as the rays will become concentrated and “burn through the filter.”)
During complete totality, NASA says it’s usually safe to remove the camera filter and snap photos of the corona — but only if you immediately replace all filters (and glasses) before totality ends.
NASA’s other tips for taking photos with a smartphone include: practicing by taking pictures of the moon; buying a zoom lens that affixes to your phone; and using a remote shutter and delay timer to reduce the amount of vibration caused by human hands, among other tips.
For anyone wondering, solar filters must also remain on regular cameras during any partial period of the eclipse, including mirrorless DSLR and DSLM cameras, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) warns. Those filters can come off briefly during totality, if you’re quick enough about replacing them when totality is over.
Both NASA and the AAS also suggest turning your attention to the horizon and the eclipse-watchers around you — rather than the corona — to capture a fuller picture of the event.
And don’t forget to take a moment to view the eclipse sans-camera.
“No matter how good your photographs, they won’t do justice to the real thing,” the AAS writes. “So make sure you take the time to see totality with your own eyes.”
Nexstar’s Justin Walker (KLAS) and Sam Stark (KXAN) contributed to this article.
