Editing 2917: Types of Eclipse Photo

{{comic
| number    = 2917
| date      = April 8, 2024
| title     = Types of Eclipse Photo
| image     = types_of_eclipse_photo_2x.png
| imagesize = 594x460px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = The most rare, top-tier eclipse photo would be the Solar Earth Eclipse, but the Apollo 12 crew's attempt to capture it was marred by camera shake. They said it looked spectacular, though.
}}

==Explanation==
On the day of this comic's release, {{w|Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024|a total solar eclipse}} traversed North America, allowing a substantial portion of the United States to view this phenomenon. Total {{w|eclipse}}s in any given area are rare enough and impressive enough that witnessing it was a huge event for many people, both those living in the zone of totality and the many people who traveled specifically to view it. This strip addresses the event through different types of photos that people might take. 

'''The Standard:''' A photo of the solar eclipse during totality, a typical photo most people might hope to take (examples shown [https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kyhZsybgc7dnqLsphVL88R-650-80.jpg.webp here] and [https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1376xn/p0hq71pb.jpg.webp here]). This photograph captures the Sun totally blocked by the Moon, with a barely visible ring of light around the outside, which comes from its 'atmosphere' and other external features, rather than the solar surface that would normally be visible.

'''The Partial:''' A photo of the eclipse in progress, likely approaching totality (example shown [https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/24074589/20240126/011227/styles/patch_image/public/eclipse-shutterstock-149065532___26131150810.jpg?width=1200 here]). Another typical photo most viewers take as the eclipse progresses, and the only type of image available to people [[2914: Eclipse Coolness|outside the zone of totality]].

'''The Reaction Shot:''' During an eclipse, people tend to gather outside in crowds to witness the event in person. Images of people gathering and looking up at the sky capture the human side of this event, and is likely to be more personal to the person taking the photo (particularly since the people may be their friends and family). This [https://globalnews.ca/news/10410279/eclipse-photos-2024-north-america/ article] by Global news shows several reaction pictures such as [https://globalnews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CP170420992.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=1200 this] and [https://globalnews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CP170420242.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=1200 this].

'''The Fancy Lens:''' A photo of this type (examples shown [https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x7btBqQ4yaUGUFUCT6F95F-1600-80.png here] and [https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024xn/p0hq71zc.jpg.webp here]), that features conspicuous {{w|solar prominence}}s, will almost certainly require a lot more preparation and equipment (the 'fancy lens', a tripod or other mounting, etc). The prominences are dim, compared to the Sun, and usually are visible only when the Sun is completely covered because of contrast issues. Due to the lack of significant atmosphere on the Moon, the hard edge of the similarly-sized Moon can reveal these details whilst obscuring the usually dominant sunlight.
:The eclipsing body can't extend much beyond the Sun without also hiding the prominences, but that is the fortunate situation with Earth-Moon-Sun eclipses having the Moon, often ''just'' large enough to cut out the solar disc. It varies, but the {{w|Solar eclipse#Types|usual exception}} is the Moon being slightly too far away in its orbit (combined with the Earth being marginally closer to the Sun, in its own orbit) to obscure the whole body of the Sun, leaving a bright ring of solar surface visible. Such an annular eclipse gives similar lighting problems as with a high-percentage partial one; or during the phases leading up to/away from actual totality. 

'''The Focus Issues:''' People new or unaware of the difficulties of astral photography typically experience challenges focusing their lenses on astral bodies, especially if they are trying to fight against a confused auto-focus. The eclipse is no exception to this, and this type of photo popped up more frequently during this event because more people were taking this fleeting opportunity to take photos of the sky than usual. This [https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-eclipse-photo-advice-pro-photographer-2024-4 article] explains some of the tips (such as using a tripod to steady the camera and using manual settings for exposure and focus) to get professional looking pictures of eclipses and shows pictures of an [https://i.insider.com/661462313f923f7dab05ba2e?width=1000&format=jpeg&auto=webp amateur (left) vs a  professional (right)] picture.

'''The Traffic Jam:''' Since the experience of a total eclipse is only available in a specific geographical range, it's extremely common for people to travel to view them, particularly when this range is near to heavily populated areas (as in this case). The number of people trying to get into a particular area for a particular event naturally causes huge issues of traffic and accommodations. One example is traffic jams, which can become huge and last for many hours. The Daily Gazette [https://www.dailygazette.com/news/northway-eclipse-traffic/article_b6caad62-f6b4-11ee-b1b7-a76cdd73b560.html reports] a number of photos ([https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/dailygazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/f6/df60ce28-f687-11ee-aff2-5f944ac2e1e0/661562238083b.image.jpg?resize=375%2C500 photo 1], [https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/dailygazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/2b/72b670a2-f687-11ee-bd48-074d85985429/661561749830e.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 photo 2]) of traffic related slowdowns in Schenectady, New York as people return from viewing the eclipse. It states many people spent double the normal time to get to their destination as compared to normal (non post-eclipse) travel. The irony of waiting in traffic for hours in order to see an event lasting several minutes can be frustrating, and an image of the traffic jam may be a bitter way to capture this irony. 

'''The Astronaut:''' Astronauts on the {{w|International Space Station}} had a particularly unusual view of the solar eclipse, seeing the Moon's shadow on the Earth's surface. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2024/04/08/total-solar-eclipse-photos-nasa-astronauts-take-historic-images-from-space/?sh=4139cb0465aa Forbes] has an article that shows the pictures of the [https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/6616ae80477b4ce765cb35fa/IMG-5058/960x0.jpg?format=jpg&width=1440 eclipse] from NASA and the ISS in orbit 250 miles (400 km) above the Earth.

'''The "Frustratedly Looking up the Cloud Situation in Australia for 2028":''' There were clouds over a large portion of the United States and Canada during the April 2024 eclipse. This is a [https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/93a01e5edfb6d8e325341d0bdff1e3a1ca65977c/hub/2024/04/08/c52c7409-e6f3-4b37-9b9b-e0e002e4f8db/gettyimages-2141954790.jpg?auto=webp&width=1200 photo] similar to the one in the comic, taken in Niagara Falls, Ontario where it was cloudy during the eclipse. For most of North America, this meant that heavy cloud cover [[2915: Eclipse Clouds|blocked their view of the Sun during the eclipse]], badly impacting the viewing experience. This was naturally highly undesirable, particularly those who had planned and traveled to see it. The joke here is that such a person, seeing only clouds during the eclipse, might try to figure out the next time that seeing an eclipse would be possible. There will be a {{w|Solar eclipse of July 22, 2028|total eclipse passing over Australia and New Zealand in 2028}}. For someone in the United States, this would require a much more significant trip than the 2024 trip, but someone who missed one eclipse might be willing to go to extremes to see another. The irony is that weather is impossible to accurately predict 4 years in the future, so such a plan would involve the risk of traveling halfway around the world, only for them to [https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/australia?iso=20280722 more likely than not] miss another eclipse due to overcast or cloudy weather. 

One common type of eclipse image (albeit from more experienced photographers with photo-editing experience) is '''the timelapse''' photo (examples [https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hf2bk7ineG6zdr3xn5CjxW-970-80.jpg here] and [https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/173-general-photography/627016d1708011779-time-lapse-upcoming-solar-eclipse-capture.jpg here]) which Randall does not reference in his comic (although a timelapse could feature photos used in the comic). A timelapse eclipse photo includes multiple exposures of the eclipse at multiple times, often before eclipse totality, during totality and after totality; effectively superimposing the before, during and after shots of the eclipse in a single image.

The title text refers to a [[:File:Apollo_12_view_of_Solar_Eclipse_(5052129615).jpg|photograph]] taken during the {{w|Apollo 12}} mission when the Earth came between the spacecraft and the Sun on the journey back home from the Moon. Technically there is a "Solar Earth Eclipse" every night, as the Earth is then between you and the Sun and shades your view of it, but Randall is referring to an incident when Apollo 12 was positioned such that the spacecraft, Earth, and Sun lined up. The photograph was taken shortly before totality; other pictures as well as video footage during totality [https://whenisthenexteclipse.com/50-years-ago-today-the-apollo-12-crew-created-their-own-total-solar-eclipse/ were taken], but are of considerably lower quality due to a shaky camera.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:<big>Types of Eclipse Photo</big>

:[Eclipse during totality]
:The Standard

:[Partial eclipse with lighter sky]
:The Partial

:[Two Cueballs and Ponytail looking and pointing at the sky]
:The Reaction Shot

:[Eclipse during totality with red "ribbons" around the Moon]
:The Fancy Lens

:[A blurry ring of light in the center]
:The Focus Issues

:[The rear of an SUV]
:The Traffic Jam

:[A dark circle on Earth's surface]
:The Astronaut

:[A gray cover of clouds]
:The "Frustratedly Looking up the Cloud Situation in Australia for 2028"

==Trivia==
* The [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/types_of_eclipse_photo.png standard size] image was uploaded with a resolution/size of 8920 by 6909, larger than the supposed 2x version at 1189 by 921. This was likely an error, and has since been fixed.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Solar eclipses]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Weather]]
[[Category:Photography]]