P3D Photographing the Eclipse

[Peter Homer <P.J.Homer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is going to be an eclipse visible in the Uk on August 11 at about 11
oclock. It does look as if I will be unable to get to a place to see the
full eclipse (South Devon and Cornwall) but there will still be about 93%
were I am . I seem to have got volunteered to demonstrate it to colleagues
using the projection method probably projecting into a darkened room in the
camera obscura method. Personaly I would also like to take photographs
which will mean photographing through the window which is not ideal. Also I
realise their are hazards involved, the last time we had a much smaller
partial eclipse I used an SlR with a waist finder hood without the lens in
place . This worked alright but it was so overcast although I could see an
photograph the eclipse using the screen it was actualy possible to view the
eclipse direct through the cloud.
 This time it is at a better time of the year and if the present good
weather continues we are going to have much better but potentialy hazardous
viewing conditions. What sort of filter (if any) can I use to protect my
eyes and prevent overexposure of the film. There have been a number of
filters for sale for viewing the eclipse including ones with BSA kite mark
but they seem to be advising not to use these even ,just the projection
method. One of the things I want to try is to use a pair from the sequence
to produce a stereo pair using the movement of the sun and moon to show
that they are not in the same plane but that the sun is 400 times as far a
way as the moon.    P.J.Homer



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