2013 Annular solar eclipse - Newman, Australia

Location: 40km south of Newman, Western Australia
Timing: 12-May-2013 06:33 (UTC+8)

It was worth travelling for a full day to return to the old stomping ground in the Pilbara for this annular eclipse! It was a fantastic event - brilliant conditions & great company.  Thanks again Al for your hospitality.

Ring of Fire

Camera: Canon EOS 550D Lens: Sigma 150-500mm APO HSM Mount: Monfrotto 290 Date: 12-May-2013 Time: 06:33 (UTC+8) Focal length: 370mm Aperture: f/6.3 Exposure: 1/1250 sec ISO: 400 Exposure bias: -1.7

Solar Prominences

Camera: Canon EOS 550D Lens: Sigma 150-500mm APO HSM Mount: Monfrotto 290 Date: 12-May-2013 Time: 06:33 (UTC+8) Focal length: 370mm Aperture: f/6.3 Exposure: 1/200 sec ISO: 400 Exposure bias: -1.7

Picking the location

This eclipse was visible on a long track-path across the top end of Australia.  Plenty of choices and plenty of backdrops for the event.  Knowing how great the sunrise can be in the Pilbara, I decided that was the place.  This meant the event would be in progress at sunrise, but the greatest coverage (annularity) would occur low in the eastern sky, with a good chance of morning cloud to highlight the incredible desert sunrise colours.

Getting there

I cut it fine on this trip, getting to Newman the afternoon before the eclipse.  That meant no time for scouting to select a location - I did that on Google Earth beforehand (picking a few options).  We got up 4:30ish, filled up on a nice healthy breakfast (not), cleaned up, got coffee and checked out.  The sites we were heading for were about 40km south of town - by the time we got there the sky was brightening, so we could see well to make a call on the site.  We pulled off the road and walked about half a km to a hillock with a good clear view toward the east.  Needless to say, we had the place to ourselves.

Setting up for the eclipse

Sitting on a hillock in classic Pilbara country - red dirt, spinifex, grasses and shrubs.

Equipment

I started setting up about 6am and 10 or 15 minutes later was sitting down on a rock, waiting for the sunrise with 3 cameras.

1. Main camera: Canon EOS 550D with Sigma 150-500mm zoom lens on a Manfrotto tripod.  Set up on aperture priority, with 3x bracket (-1.7, 0, +1.7), programmed to fire every 15 seconds with Giga T Pro II remote.
2. Video: Panasonic Lumix on a light tripod.  Set running on video mode to capture the whole event.
3. Phone: Always on hand, an easy way to snap and share stuff quickly.

Filters?

You may note I have not mentioned anything about filters.  Solar photography requires the use of filters; otherwise you will potentially damage your setup.  There is one small caveat on this: the sun's strength is attenuated significantly at sunrise, especially in a hazy sky.  I purposefully made use of this point in selecting the location so I could avoid using filters and get natural sunrise colours.

Double reflection

Take some time to look for cool things during eclipses!  This shows a reflection of the eclipse from the camera lens on my phone - reflected back to the picture from Al's glasses.

On the Tropic

Just to prove it was us... had to stop at the sign just past the Cappi Roadhouse for a selfie.

If you are planning any photography yourself, please read up on eye and equipment safety!