The best way to capture a total solar eclipse with your phone

A total solar eclipse will pass over North America on Monday, and eclipse mania has gripped the United States, with concerts, viewing parties and even a mass wedding planned along the path of totality to witness the once-in-a-generation celestial event.

If you're planning to watch the rare eclipse, you're probably getting your phone's cameras ready. But have you ever tried to take a photo of the sky and noticed that it didn't translate well?

Here are some tips on the best way to capture Monday's celestial event with your phone – no professional cameras needed!

Try your own sun filter or eclipse glasses

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks the sun. More than a dozen states lie within the path of totality, a path more than 100 miles wide that extends from Texas to Maine. On this path, the Moon will completely block sunlight and darkness will prevail for a few minutes in the middle of the afternoon.

Phone cameras aren't always the best at photographing the sky. But just as your eyes need eclipse glasses to see Monday's celestial event, your phone's camera lens might, too.

Try pressing your eclipse glasses close to your lens before totality, when the sky temporarily darkens, to prevent light from showing. When a total eclipse occurs, remove the filter or glasses – they are no longer needed.

You can also buy a sun filter for phone lenses, which can help you take a sharper shot.

Focus and exposure

To focus your phone's camera on the eclipse, try using the focus lock feature. Tap your screen on where you want to focus, then hold until you see the yellow AE/AF LOCK alert. Your phone will now maintain focus on this area.

Or adjust your exposure. In your focus area you will see a sun icon. Drag your finger up and down near the sun icon to increase or decrease exposure, making your photo brighter or darker. Reduce exposure to capture eclipse details. Raise the exposure level to capture the full image, when it is darkest.

Reduce movement

To minimize movement so you can get the clearest shot, use a tripod or your phone's timer mode.

You can also use burst mode during macro shooting to get as many photos as possible as quickly as possible, so you can take special photos “Diamond Ring Effect” A bright glimmer seen as the Moon makes its final move over the Sun.

Don't zoom in too much – this may reduce quality and cause pixelation!

But remember, this total eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so don't forget to document the moment outside the sky. Take photos of your surroundings, such as people reacting to the eclipse, and crescent-shaped light patterns through trees on the ground. These types of special moments will also capture the feeling and experience of the eclipse.