Tennessee Astrophotography - Great American Eclipse - Total Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017

"The Sun was eclipsed; it was all gone. 

It was like ink and without light. 

The stars were visible in the daytime."

-- Hyaku Rensho. (Total solar eclipse of August AD 975)

There are photos from our families expedition to T-Lea Farm, Tellico Plains, Tennessee for Great American Total Eclipse August 21, 2017. In the Shadow of the Moon - 2 min 37 sec.

Solar Corona - Tellico Plains, Tennessee - Total Solar Eclipse 2017, New York City Expedition, photo by Igor Kuskovsky

Total Solar Eclipse 2017 August 21 Canon 60D  Tellico Plains, Tennessee, New York City Expedition, photo by Igor Kuskovsky

Diamond Ring Total Solar Eclipse 2017 Celestron Nexstar 4SE Astrophotography

Solar Corona Great USA Eclipse 2017 Celestron Nexstar 4SE Astrophotography

Solar Eclipse 2017 Aug 21 Dimond Ring and Solar Corona

Solar activity was pretty active (compare other days when no sunspots was visible). Three bright solar flares and couple of sunspot areas (Wolf Number about 66).

The Beginning of Total Solar Eclipse 2017, Aug 21 - Coronado SolarMax II 60 Telescope, Celestron Nexstar 4SE Tripod, Canon 60Da Camera, Tennessee Astrophotography

Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Celestron Nexstar 4SE Telescope, Canon 60Da Camera, Solar Filter Spectrum Telescope ST525G, Tellico Plains, Tennessee Astrophotography

Telescope Nexstar 4SE Camera Canon 60Da Total Solar Eclipse 2017 Tennessee  Astrophotography

Temperature dropped about 10 degrees Fahrenheit (or 5 degrees Celsius) during the Totality. It was cold! Even small clouds disappeared around the sun, probably because of such temperature inside moon shadow.

Total Solar Eclipse 2017 Black and White T-Lea Farm Tellico Plains Tennessee Astrophotography

Tennessee Astrophotography - Great Total Solar Eclipse 2017, T-Lea Farm, Tellico Plains

Great American Eclipse August 21 2017 Celestron 4SE

Tennessee Astrophotography - At night before the Solar Eclipse - Milky Way - T-Lea Farm, Tellico Plains

Testing for Solar Eclipse 2017, August 21 - Tellico Plains, Tennessee

"Whenever we want to watch an eclipse of the Sun 

we set out basins filled with oil or pitch, 

because the heavy liquid is not easily disturbed 

and so preserves the images it receives."

-- Seneca (Roman, 1st century AD)

There are some some photos which I did before solar eclipse, just for testing,  Canon 60Da,  Celestron Nexstar 4SE, Coronado SolarMax II 60.

Waiting Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Celestron Nexstar 4SE Canon 60Da

Cloudy Sun - Celestron Nexstar 4SE Canon 60Da - Testing for Solar Eclipse 2017

H Alpha Sun - Coronado SolarMax II 60 Canon 60Da - Testing for Solar Eclipse 2017

Single Sunspot Astrophotography - Celestron 4SE Canon 60Da - Testing for Solar Eclipse 2017

Perfect Sun without Sunspots - Coronado SolarMax II 60 Canon 60Da - Testing for Solar Eclipse 2017 

South Carolina Astrophotography

There are astrophotos from my trip to South Carolina. Canon 60Da,  Canon EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens.  Hilton Had Island, South Carolina.

South Carolina Astrophotography Starry Sky Lifeguard Station

Palm Trees and Night Sky South Carolina Astrophotography

Color Night Waves and Night Sky Astrophotography South Carolina

Ocean Sky Astrophotography - South Carolina

Hilton Had Island Ocean Sky Astrophotography South Carolina

Sweden Astrophotography - Northern Lights Kiruna Lapland

The sight filled the northern sky; the immensity of it was scarcely conceivable. 

As if from Heaven itself, great curtains of delicate light hung and trembled. 

Pale green and rose-pink, and as transparent as the most fragile fabric, 

and at the bottom edge a profound fiery crimson like the fires of Hell, 

they swung and shimmered loosely with more grace than the most skillful dancer.

-- PHILIP PULLMAN, The Golden Compass

How grand minimum of solar activity affect the Northern Light? I hope not so much and the Northern Light still will be visible during the grand minimum, but who knows 100%? So hurry up to see it now! Kiruna  Lapland Sweden Astrophotography - Canon 60Da, Canon EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

Sweden Astrophotography  Northern Lights

Sweden Astrophotography Aurora Borealis

Kiruna Lappland Northern Lights - Sweden Astrophotography

Cross Ski Trail Sign and Northern Lights - Kiruma Lappland Astrophotography

Panorama Northern Lights - Sweden Astrophotography Kiruna Lapland

See also Northern Lights Iceland Astrophotography

Los Angeles Astrophotography California

"Man's sense of values ought to be revised. 

If all mankind could look through that telescope, 

it would change the world!"

-- Griffith J. Griffith

There are some night astronomical photos from my trip to Los Angeles, California.

Ironically, the Griffith Observatory is closing at night  :( so don’t have a lot of time to made photos. There is iconic view to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Astrophotography night view from the Griffith Observatory California

Los Angels city skyline at night Griffith Observatory Astrophotography

Griffith Observatory at night, Los Angeles, CA

Night City Light pollution Hollywood