April 2024

After 2 weeks, today I can show you my picture of the solar eclipse from April 8, 2024. For the shot, I initially planned for Hillsboro, TX. However, the weather forecast was not good; I had to expect clouds. So I decided to divert to Mountain View, AR. This was associated with a total of 700 additional miles on the road, but it was worth it. I was able to capture 118 sequences, each with 7 images. The exposure times were evenly distributed from ¼ s to 1/4000 s. At my location, the totality lasted a total of 4 minutes and 10 seconds. The 826 images were captured in RAW format with the Canon EOS R5 with the EF 300 f/2.8 and EF 2x converter, allowing me to reach a focal length of 600mm. The sky was consistently clear to slightly hazy.

I would like to extend special thanks to two supporters who contributed significantly to the success of the mission: my son Mathias Wittich for the crucial meteorology lesson and David Contreras, who provided me with a place on his property where I could quietly capture my images and observe the solar eclipse.