SUN PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAN FRIEDMAN
The centerline of totality in the April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse passed just to the south of my Buffalo, NY backyard. Though early forecasts were favorable, a heavy cloud cover began to appear likely in the days leading up to the event.
After a week of “should I stay or should I go,” all factors aligned to a decision that staying home was the plan to follow. Clouds were thick and covered most of the sky all day but as the partial phase started and the drop in temperature was palpable the clouds thinned and the crescent sun became visible to the naked eye. Just before totality I removed the filter from my 4” 600mm FL refractor and began snapping photos through a Leica SL2-S mirrorless camera attached to the telescope focuser. The small scope gathered enough light to pierce the clouds and provide an interesting look at totality. Though the corona was hidden, its presence was felt as it illuminated the clouds surrounding the eclipsed sun. Each image was different courtesy of the passing cloud cover. The beautiful magenta prominences were seen clearly in many shots, even visible as a ghostly protrusion if you look closely at the brilliant thin sliver of sunlight (photo #2) just after the end of totality.
While clear skies would have been ideal, in astronomy we taken the lemons were are given and try to make pie. Enjoy… and clear skies!