ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel SmarterEveryDay I Accidentally Photographed Something Unknown During the Eclipse – Smarter Every Day 298
During the 2024 total solar eclipse, I captured something mysterious in my photos. Let’s see if you can spot it. As the eclipse unfolded, people around me were excitedly shouting about Bailey’s Beads and the Diamond Ring effect. Did you catch the strange object in the sky? Let’s rewind and take another look at this part of the sky. What could it be? We’ll explore this later.
This story is about something I truly love, and I want to share it with you without worrying about how popular the video might be. It’s just a fun story about an experience I had during the eclipse.
About a month after the eclipse, people started asking me what I did during the event. I hadn’t shared my experience yet because it took me a while to figure out if my plan worked. Now, I’m excited to tell you all about it.
Years ago, Dr. Gordon Telepun told me I would love total solar eclipses. At first, I wasn’t sure, but after seeing one in 2002, I was hooked. In 2017, my friend Trevor and I traveled to Wyoming to capture the International Space Station passing in front of the eclipse. It was a challenging photo, but we succeeded.
My wife, Tara, and I loved eclipses so much that we traveled to Argentina in 2019 to see another one. My favorite photo from that trip was a composite image of the eclipse setting over the Andes Mountains.
When we heard about the 2024 eclipse, Tara suggested we watch it with Dr. Telepun, who introduced us to this passion. We met him and his wife for lunch, and he proposed an exciting idea: using color positive film to capture the corona during totality. This would be similar to my Andes photo but on a single piece of film, which is tricky because film doesn’t allow for mistakes.
I struggled to find a camera that wouldn’t advance the film automatically. As the eclipse approached, I reached out to friends at a camera store in Finland for help.
A week before the eclipse, I set up a solar tracker for the video camera and a still camera for my son to use. Dr. Telepun and I worked on setting up the RZ67 camera. I admire Dr. Telepun’s enthusiasm for sharing his love of eclipses with others.
The night before the eclipse, we arrived in Jackson, Missouri. Dr. Telepun was eager to ensure everyone had a great experience. He even taught my kids how to graph the temperature changes during the eclipse.
On the morning of the eclipse, Dr. Telepun set up his equipment and began explaining everything to the kids who gathered around. My son started taking photos with a tracker mount, while I focused on capturing the eclipse on film.
As the sun’s crescent grew smaller, we noticed the eerie effect of sharp and fuzzy shadows. As totality approached, Dr. Telepun’s excitement was contagious. We saw shadow bands, but I couldn’t capture them on camera.
When totality occurred, it was breathtaking. We had four and a half minutes to take photos and enjoy the moment. Afterward, we mingled with others and waited for more photo opportunities. We managed to take 11 exposures on one piece of film.
On our way back from Missouri, I reviewed the photos and videos. I noticed something flying across the sky in my son’s footage. It could have been a bug, a plane, or a satellite.
I consulted Jonathan McDowell, a satellite expert, who thought it looked like a bug but agreed it might be a satellite. We compared footage with another YouTuber, Jeff Geerling, who was nearby. The object appeared in both videos, suggesting it wasn’t a bug. We concluded it was likely a satellite.
Curious about which satellite it was, I checked the data. I thought it might be a Starlink satellite, but it didn’t match.
Finally, it was time to develop the film. I was nervous but thrilled with the results. The sequence of photos was incredible, and I couldn’t wait to share it with Dr. Telepun.
Watching the eclipse with him and my family was a fantastic experience. I hope you enjoyed this journey with me. If you want to subscribe to Smarter Every Day, that would be awesome. If not, I’m just glad you joined me for this adventure.
Thank you for your support, and I look forward to sharing more exciting stories with you soon!
Review the photos and videos from the 2024 eclipse and try to identify the mysterious object captured in the footage. Discuss with your classmates what it might be and why. Consider factors like its shape, movement, and possible explanations such as a satellite or an insect.
Using materials like a lamp, a globe, and a small ball, create a model to demonstrate how a solar eclipse occurs. Explain the concepts of totality, Bailey’s Beads, and the Diamond Ring effect to your classmates. This hands-on activity will help you understand the mechanics of an eclipse.
Recreate the experiment Dr. Telepun taught by graphing temperature changes during a simulated eclipse. Use a lamp to represent the sun and a thermometer to measure temperature changes as you gradually cover the light source. Analyze how the temperature drops during totality.
Investigate different types of satellites and their purposes. Create a presentation on how satellites can be visible during an eclipse and what factors affect their visibility. Share your findings with the class, highlighting any interesting satellites that might have been visible during the 2024 eclipse.
Try your hand at capturing a celestial event or a unique natural phenomenon with a camera. Use techniques discussed in the article, such as setting up a solar tracker or using different camera settings. Share your photos with the class and discuss the challenges and successes you experienced.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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During the 2024 total solar eclipse, I captured something I haven’t been able to identify. See if you can spot it. [Other people talking] Coming out. Oh, Bailey’s Beads! Diamond Ring! [Other people cheering in the background] “WHEEWWW!” [Destin] Did you see it? Let’s back it up and play it again. Focus on this band of the sky right here. What is this? And what is this? We’re going to talk about this later.
This video is about something I love, and so I don’t feel any pressure to make a video that will perform for the algorithm. I’m just going to tell you a story about a thing that happened to me, and it’s something I love.
So by now, we’re about a month after the total solar eclipse here in America. A lot of people are uploading their videos, and people have been asking me, “Hey, what did you do for the eclipse?” I haven’t been able to tell anybody what I did because it has taken until now. It’s 10:00 PM, about a month later, and I just now figured out if I succeeded or failed with the thing I tried to do. It’s really fun, and I want to share what I did.
Let me take you back. A long time ago, a guy named Dr. Gordon Telepun told me I would love total solar eclipses, and I kinda didn’t believe him. I saw him in 2002, but I took his word on it, and I totally fell in love with it. In fact, in 2017, I did the math with a friend named Trevor, and we decided to go to Wyoming to try to capture the International Space Station transiting the total solar eclipse. At that point, it was the most technical shot I had ever done with photography, and we got it.
Tara and I fell in love with total solar eclipses so much that two years later, in 2019, we went to Argentina and filmed that solar eclipse, experiencing it in the middle of the desert overlooking the Andes Mountains. My favorite shot from that eclipse was a composite of different digital photos that I took. I had strung them all together and laid them over the same image, showing the solar eclipse setting over the Andes Mountains.
When we realized there was going to be a total solar eclipse in 2024, Tara had the idea that we should watch it with Dr. Telepun. He was the one who introduced us to this love. We decided to meet him and his wife for lunch. Dr. Telepun suggested something that seemed impossible to me, combining all the different technical things I love.
He proposed that I use color positive film and take a corona shot during totality, which would be really cool. To be clear, he was asking me to do what I did with the Andes shot but on one piece of film. Film is unforgiving; you get one shot at it, and then you have to develop it, and whatever happens, happens.
So I started trying to find cameras that wouldn’t advance the film, and I couldn’t find one. As the eclipse approached, I realized I wasn’t going to figure it out. I called my friends at the camera store in Finland, and they helped me out.
About a week out from the eclipse, I set up the solar tracker for the video camera and the still camera that my son was going to run. Dr. Telepun and I started figuring out the RZ67. One of the things I love about Dr. Telepun is that he genuinely loves things and wants to share that joy with others.
The night before the eclipse, when we arrived in Jackson, Missouri, it was clear that he wanted everyone to have a great experience. He was teaching my kids how to graph the temperature during the eclipse, which was adorable.
On the morning of the eclipse, Dr. Telepun set up his stations, just like the educational video we made before the eclipse. Kids started walking up, and he began explaining everything. My son started taking photos with a tracker mount, while I focused on the film.
We had a line of cameras and tripods, all looking at the sun, using Dr. Telepun’s solar eclipse timer. As the crescent of the sun got smaller, the sharp and fuzzy shadows experiment started to show up. It felt eerie.
As we got close to totality, Dr. Telepun’s childlike joy started to emerge. I heard the call for shadow bands, which meant we were almost at totality. I saw shadow bands with my eyes, but I couldn’t capture them on camera.
Then, totality happened, and it was incredible. The beautiful thing about totality lasting four and a half minutes was that I had plenty of time to take photos and share a kiss with my wife, Tara.
After totality, we walked around and talked to people, waiting for the next call out to take more photos. We completed 11 exposures on that one piece of film.
On the way back from Missouri, I started looking at all the photos and videos. I noticed something flying across the sky in my son’s footage, right at C3. It could be a bug, a plane, or a satellite.
I consulted with Jonathan McDowell, a satellite expert, who suggested it looked like a bug but acknowledged it could also be a satellite. We compared footage with a fellow YouTuber, Jeff Geerling, who was set up nearby.
After analyzing both videos, we found that the object appeared in both frames, suggesting it couldn’t be a bug. We concluded it was likely a satellite.
Now, I was curious to find out which satellite it was. I thought it might be a Starlink satellite, but after checking the data, it didn’t seem to match.
Finally, it was time to check the film we shot. I was nervous, but when we scanned it, I was thrilled to see the results. It was an incredible sequence, and I couldn’t wait to share it with Dr. Telepun.
It was a fantastic experience to watch the eclipse with him and my family. I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride. If you want to consider subscribing to Smarter Every Day, that would be awesome. If not, I’m just glad you’re here.
Thank you for your support, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!
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This version removes any informal language, exclamations, and unnecessary details while preserving the essence of the story.
Eclipse – An event where one celestial body moves into the shadow of another celestial body, blocking its light. – During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on Earth.
Solar – Relating to or determined by the sun. – Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity, providing a renewable energy source.
Totality – The phase of an eclipse during which the sun or moon is completely obscured. – When the moon completely covers the sun, the eclipse reaches totality, and the sky becomes dark.
Camera – A device used for capturing images, often used in astronomy to photograph celestial events. – Astronomers set up a camera with a special filter to safely capture images of the solar eclipse.
Film – A thin layer or coating, often used in cameras to capture images before digital technology. – Before digital cameras, astronomers used film to record images of the night sky.
Satellite – An object that orbits a planet or star, often used for communication or observation. – The Hubble Space Telescope is a satellite that provides detailed images of distant galaxies.
Shadows – Dark areas created when an object blocks light from a source. – During a lunar eclipse, the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, causing it to appear red.
Temperature – A measure of how hot or cold something is, often important in studying stars and planets. – The temperature of the sun’s surface is about 5,500 degrees Celsius.
Experience – The knowledge or skill acquired by observing or participating in events. – Watching a meteor shower was an unforgettable experience for the young astronomer.
Passion – A strong enthusiasm or interest in a particular subject or activity. – Her passion for astronomy led her to spend countless nights observing the stars.
