Aguanga resident photographs solar eclipse

Diane Sieker

Staff Writer

Aguanga resident Jason Imbimbo took stunning photos of the solar eclipse Saturday morning, Oct. 14 beginning at 9:36 a.m. Viewing the phenomenon with his family, he used an ND-400 filter to capture the images with his Galaxy s23 Ultra phone.

"The filter reduces the amount of light allowed through the lens by 400 times, letting me photograph the eclipse," Imbimbo explained. "Without the filter the photo would be nothing but white."

According to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, safety is the number one priority when viewing a solar eclipse. Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun's bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing. During partial or annular solar eclipses, it is never safe to look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection or filters.

An eclipse is an event that occurs with the partial or total blocking of light of one celestial object by another. An eclipse of the sun or moon occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are aligned. Eclipses are experienced by millions of people when they occur.

"We loved it, my daughter Alicia asked lots of questions," said Imbimbo. "She's really into science."

The next solar eclipse will occur April 8, 2024.