Eclipse 1999 Photo Gallery
by John Walker

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There is simply no way to capture the visual appearance of a solar eclipse on film—the dynamic range in light intensity exceeds the capability of any emulsion. This is a multi-second exposure (hand-timed with a cable release) which captures the outer corona and gives a hint, just a hint, of the magnificent coronal streamers which visually (near the end of totality, as the eye became better dark-adapted) could be seen to extend two to three solar radii. The inner corona is hopelessly overexposed, and the long exposure blurred the edge of the Moon due to its motion while the shutter was open.

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