Why are solar eclipse camera filters necessary

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I’m told that to photograph the solar eclipse with my smartphone I will need a filter to put in front of my camera to prevent damage to the sensor. My understanding, and maybe this is where I’m wrong, is that a camera that doesn’t have a telephoto lens can shoot pictures of the sun on a normal day without a filter. If that’s true what makes a solar eclipse different? It would seem to be like the more the sun gets blocked, the less energy makes it to the sensor, the safer it is for the electronics. Does it have to do with exposure time due to a darker scene?

In: Physics

7 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Have you ever burned wood, ants and random stuff with a magnifying glass as a kid?

A similar kind of process happens inside the camera. You’re taking light from a larger area and concentrating it into a smaller area of the camera sensor, magnifying the light’s intensity.

The same thing happens inside your eyes by the way.

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