Solar eclipse phone photography: NASA warns of fried sensors but offers an easy fix

If I only had a dime for every “how to photograph the solar eclipse with your phone” article I’ve come across these days… But they’re there for a reason. Yes, you need some guidelines before you point your phone at the sun, and even NASA warns you not to carelessly play with it, as you might damage its sensor.

It started when tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee wondered what would happen if he just used his phone without any other gear. “I cannot for the life of me find a definitive answer to whether or not pointing a smartphone at the solar eclipse will fry the sensor,” Marques writes on X. “Tempted to just take a phone I don’t need and point it at the sun for 5 minutes to find out the real answer myself. In the name of science.”

I cannot for the life of me find a definitive answer to whether or not pointing a smartphone at the solar eclipse will fry the sensor

Tempted to just take a phone I don't need and point it at the sun for 5 minutes to find out the real answer myself. In the name of science

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) April 4, 2024

Well, if you’ve been having the same thought – don’t do it! Even though the moon blocks the sun during totality, you can still fry your phone’s sensor at any other point of the eclipse. Replying to Markus’s tweet (or is it a “xeet” now?), NASA explained:

“We asked our @NASAHQPhoto team, and the answer is yes, the phone sensor could be damaged just like any other image sensor if it’s pointed directly at the Sun. This is especially true if you’re using any sort of magnifying lens attachment on the phone. You would need to utilize the proper filters just like on any other camera.”

NASA shared the simplest yet really effective tip for shooting the eclipse with your phone: hold a pair of eclipse glasses in front of your phone camera. This goes for shooting the eclipse at any point other than totality, so make sure your timing is right. Don’t learn your lessons the hard way. And if you’d like to gear up more seriously for today’s celestial event, you’ll find some last-minute tips below:

• Tutorials and tips for the solar eclipse
• Nikon offers up some tips to shoot perfect solar eclipse photos
• Tips from Canon for photographing the upcoming solar eclipse

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