The Total Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024, was my first, and processing the corona image turned out to be one of the most challenging (and rewarding) projects I’ve tackled in astrophotography. I posted my initial version a couple of weeks after the event, but I knew the raw frames held more potential—faint prominences, intricate filaments, and background stars waiting to be uncovered.
Over the next two weeks, I experimented with various techniques to blend exposures perfectly. The key was manual alignment: shorter exposures for bright corona details, longer ones for faint outer structures, using stars as reference points where possible. Creating the HDR stack was tricky since I missed some exposure steps during totality, but careful masking ensured smooth transitions between frames. From there, I subtracted Gaussian-blurred layers to reveal finer details, applied high-pass filters at different scales, and removed gradients using PixInsight and Photoshop. The result? A crisp view of the corona with visible stars—verified against a planetarium app to avoid artifacts.
This was a steep learning curve, inspired by resources like Bray Falls’ eclipse processing notes and techniques from Sky & Telescope and MREclipse. If you’re gearing up for the next one, keep reading for that.
Acquisition Details
Imaging Equipment & Acquisition Details
| Category | Equipment | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Telescope | Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED | |
| Camera | Canon EOS 6D Mark II | Find Used |
| Mount | Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro | Click |
| Total Frames | 113 exposures (0.0002″ to 1.3″) | |
| Date | April 8, 2024 – New Hampshire | |
The processing of this HDR corona image was one of the toughest challenges I’ve ever tackled in astrophotography.
I learned a ton of help from these excellent guides (highly recommend them if you’re planning your own eclipse shoot):
• Phil Hart – Exmouth Eclipse Expedition
• Sky & Telescope – Revealing Totality in HDR
• Bray Falls – 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Corona
• Digital Compositing Techniques for Coronal Imaging (PDF)
This image is available to purchase as a fine art print. Check it out!
Looking Ahead: The 2026 Total Solar Eclipse
Mark your calendars—the next total solar eclipse visible from the U.S. is August 12, 2026, crossing Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. It’s a shorter path than 2024’s, but perfect for European travelers. If you’re planning a trip, expect 1–2 minutes of totality with stunning corona views. I’ll be sharing prep tips closer to the date—stay tuned!
Full-resolution version and acquisition details on AstroBin:
