Update (07/27/2017): Due to strong demand, two additional, identical seminars have been added to the Unique Photo schedule. They take place on Aug. 12 from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm and Aug. 13 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm.
Original Story below –
On August 21, for the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will span the entire length of the United States. In preparation for the event, acclaimed astronomer and photographer Dr. William Gutsch has teamed up with Unique Photo in Fairfield — New Jersey’s largest camera and video superstore — to offer The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017 seminar.
“In a narrow strip of land that stretches from Oregon to South Carolina, known as the path of totality, people will be witness to a total eclipse of the sun — one of the most awesome displays in nature,” says Gutsch. “It’s likely to be the most observed and photographed eclipse in history, because of where it is and because everyone now has a camera in their pocket.”
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A Bit About Gutsch
Gutsch, a retired distinguished professor of the College of the Arts and Sciences at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City and former chairman of the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium in New York City, cautions that viewing and photographing the eclipse needs to be done safely.
In fact, the seminar, which takes place Saturday, July 22 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm (one of several classes and workshops offered through Unique University, the Unique Photo photography education school) covers the causes of an eclipse, where to travel for the best vantage points, how to view it safely and information on the best lenses, filters and other equipment necessary for safely photographing the solar eclipse.
“You need to have the proper filters to photograph, or even just to look at, the eclipse. Some filters are safe for cameras but not your eye, some are safe for both,” Gutsch says. “Almost any decent camera will get a photo of [the eclipse], but the image will be very small. You need a good telephoto lens to capture a great photo and if you don’t want to buy one, you always obviously rent it.”
Seminar InfoWhat: The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017 photography seminar |
While the path of the total eclipse is relatively narrow — less than 100 miles wide, according to Gutsch — a partial eclipse will be visible to all of North America, Central America and northern South America. In order to get the total eclipse experience, Gutsch recommends planning ahead and, if need be, making reservations as soon as possible. Many are already booking hotel stays or making travel arrangements with friends and family.
“A lot of hotels in the path of totality have already been sold out. Unless you have a relative living there, you may have to stay outside the area and drive in,” he says. “If you haven’t made plans, do so soon and leave early because roads are likely to be jammed and the towns will swell. For example, the town of Madras, Oregon, which has a population of 6,500, is expecting 100,000 people for the eclipse.”
When to Watch the Solar Eclipse
If you just want to view the partial solar eclipse locally in New Jersey, Gutsch says that is doable; weather permitting, the best time to see it will be at about 2:44 pm, when roughly 77 percent of the sun will be blocked by the black disc of the moon; though the eclipse will actually begin at about 1:23 pm and conclude before 4:00 pm. He says eclipse-viewing glasses are safe, so long as they have an ISO logo and the letters CE, which is the manufacturer’s certification that the wearer can safely look directly at the sun.
“If you don’t see that, don’t trust it,” Gutsch says. He also recommends checking out other safety tips from reputable sources, such as Astronomy Magazine and Sky & Telescope Magazine.
As for Gutsch, he’ll view the solar eclipse in Oregon, where he’ll be staying with family. “I already told everyone that we’re getting up at 3 in the morning because we have to,” he says. “[A total eclipse] is a spectacular thing to see. You can look at pictures but they’re nothing compared to the actual experience of being there and experiencing the shadow of the moon sweep through the sky at up to about 1,600 mph. It really is bucket list worthy.”
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