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Credit & Copyright: (C2002)
Wendy Carlos &
Jonathan Kern
(all rights reserved)
Explanation:
During
a total solar eclipse,
the
Sun's extensive outer atmosphere
or corona
is an awesome and inspirational sight.
Yet the subtle shades and shimmering features of the corona that
engage the eye span a brightness range of over
10,000 to 1, making them notoriously difficult to
capture in a photograph.
Still, this single five second exposure
comes very close to
revealing the crown of the Sun in all its glory.
The color picture was taken with a
specially
built coronal camera
and telescope during the December 4th total eclipse
from Messina, South Africa.
The camera's design incorporates a
precisely made
filter whose density,
or ability to block light, decreases markedly with
distance from the filter center, compensating for the
difference between the brighter inner portion of the corona at
the Sun's edge
and the much fainter outer regions.
The central spot in the image corresponds to a calibration
window centered on the eclipsed Sun.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Solar Corona - solar eclipse - camera
Publications with words: Solar Corona - solar eclipse - camera
See also: