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How to Photograph a Total Solar Eclipse with Any Camera

We asked a professional astro photographer and eclipse chaser how to take the best photographs and videos of a total solar eclipse.


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This article is part of a special report on the total solar eclipse that will be visible from parts of the U.S., Mexico and Canada on April 8, 2024.

A total solar eclipse is a rare, often once-in-a-lifetime event. So we asked Lucie McCormick, a professional astrophotographer and eclipse chaser, how to capture an eclipse using any camera you have.

Lucie McCormick is an Emmy-nominated video journalist and filmmaker. Her work focuses on the intersection of conservation, science and social justice.

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Kelso Harper is an award-nominated Multimedia Editor at Scientific American. They produce, direct, and film short documentaries and social videos, and help produce, host, and edit SciAm's podcast Science, Quickly. They received a bachelor's in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University and a master's in science writing from MIT. Previously, they worked with WIRED, Science, Popular Mechanics, and MIT News. Follow them on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More by Kelso Harper