Observing the 2024 April 8th total solar eclipse with Vespera and Stellina

With great power comes great responsability!

Being able to remove the solar filter requires extra caution. This action is only safe during the eclipse totality phase, when the moon completely covers the sun disc. YOU MUST NOT REMOVE THE FILTER DURING THE PARTIAL PHASE. Keep in mind that prolonged exposure of your telescope’s sensor to direct sunlight can damage it. THIS KIND OF DAMAGE IS NOT COVERED BY YOUR WARRANTY.
People observing the eclipse from a location where there is NO total eclipse must keep the filter on throughout the event.

1 Preparations for the Eclipse

1.1 About your telescope security mechanism

Under normal circumstances, Vespera or Stellina are not able to observe the sun without a solar filter for safety purposes. Here is the default behavior:

Stellina: If the filter is removed during a solar observation and an excess of light is detected by the sensor for a few seconds, the observation will stop, and the telescope arm will move to a secure position.

Vespera: The filter has a detection system. While observing the sun, removing the filter will immediately trigger the safe move, and the arm will return to a secure position. Additionally, if an excess of light is detected by the sensor for a few seconds, the safe mode is also triggered.

The purpose of the eclipse mode is firstly to provide you with a way to bypass the security mechanism. Keep in mind that doing so is entirely your responsibility.

1.2 1.2 dos and don’ts

• Do not remove the solar filter during the partial phase. Remove it only when the eclipse is total.
• Do put back the solar filter as soon as the totality ends (read the “safe eclipse observing scenario” section to learn more).
• Do initialize your telescope at least once on the night sky before you can perform a sun observation, including an eclipse. It doesn’t have to be initialized at the location you are going to observe the eclipse from.
• Do run the sun observation initialization before the totality phase. During the totality, your smart telescope won’t be able to find and point at the sun (yet it will be able to track the sun provided that it has already been initialized).
• Do check that you have enough battery charge for the whole event as well as enough storage space on Vespera internal memory or Stellina USB stick.
• Do activate the “auto-save jpeg live-image” option in “image formats” from the instrument widget if you want to automatically capture the whole event.
• Do not leave your telescope unattended during the observation.
• With Vespera, during the totality, do not remove the filter while the security is still activated. This would cause the observation to stop and the arm to close. Ensure that the security is deactivated if you intend to remove the filter during totality.

1.3 About the Images saved during a solar and eclipse observation.

Only JPEG images are saved during a live observation, at the native resolution of the sensor (6MP for Stellina, 2MP for Vespera Classic, 6MP for Vespera Passengers, 8MP for Vespera II).
Enabling “auto-save live images” will save an image every 2 seconds (approximatively, depends on telescope model). This will allow you to compose a timelapse of the eclipse with third-party software afterwards.

Saving live images of the sun during the eclipse

2 Eclipse Observation tutorial with Vespera and Stellina

2.1 The eclipse mode

The Singularity app’s “space center” screen features a new eclipse observation mode alongside the solar mode. Additionally, it displays a countdown to the eclipse and an approximate timetable of the eclipse events based on the set observatory location (only if your observatory is within the eclipse observation zone).

The eclipse mode allows you to:

• Bypass the security mechanism to remove the solar filter
• Manually set exposure and gain
• Manually adjust the focus
• Switch between automatic and manual settings ( Vespera Only)

2.2 Initializing your smart telescope in eclipse mode

Basically, the procedure to start observing a solar eclipse is the same as the one required for a classic solar observation. Once you’re on the observation screen in the Singularity app, you’ll find the newly available features.

LEVEL UP THE SMART TELESCOPE

As with any observation, you first need to ensure your telescope is leveled. This is particularly important for a solar observation as there are no stars the telescope can plate solve on.

SET THE OBSERVATORY

Like any observation, you need to properly set the coordinates of your observation location. Refer to the Singularity video tutorial to learn more .

ENTER ECLIPSE MODE

Click the “eclipse mode” button from the space center screen. You’ll see instructions to follow. The telescope arm rotates to a safe position to allow the placement of the solar filter. Read the instructions and warnings.

PLACE THE SOLAR FILTER

As you would for a regular solar observation.
You won’t be able to initialize if the solar filter is not on.

ORIENT THE SMART TELESCOPE TOWARDS THE SUN

Manually turn the telescope on its base so that it faces the sun, as you would for a regular solar observation. You should be able to see a light streak between the body and the arm on the telescope’s shadow.

CONFIRM

Once you’ve confirmed the filter placement and the smart telescope is properly oriented, it will start to search for the sun then display the image as with a regular solar observation.

The observation screen is the regular solar observation screen with a new element:The bottom of the screen shows a new button to access the eclipse special features.

2.3 Setting exposure, gain and focus

To access the special features of the eclipse mode, once you are on the observation screen, tap the new “settings” button.

MANUALLY SET THE EXPOSURE

With Vespera, tap the automatic button to enter manual mode (no automatic mode on Stellina, only manual settings) Use the slider to set the exposure to the desired value. There’s a short delay for the changes to apply to the view. A dashed knob is shown at the original setting position until the final setting is applied.

MANUALLY SET THE GAIN

With Vespera, tap the automatic button to enter manual mode (no automatic mode on Stellina, only manual settings). Use the slider to set the gain to the desired value. There’s a short delay for the changes to apply to the view. A dashed knob is shown at the original setting position until the final setting is applied.

MANUALLY ADJUST THE FOCUS

You can adjust the focus relative to the default automatic position (it is not an absolute focusing value).
With Vespera, tap the automatic button to enter manual mode (no automatic mode on Stellina, only manual settings). Use the slider to set the focus to the desired value. There’s a short delay for the changes to apply to the view. A dashed knob is shown at the original setting position until the final setting is applied.

REVERT TO THE AUTOMATIC SETTINGS ( VESPERA ONLY)

At any moment, you can revert to the automatic settings (for example, if you don’t succeed in finding proper settings or lose the image because of low exposure value).
Tap the automatic button.

2.4 Deactivating the security

Proceed with caution, as there will no longer be automatic actions to prevent your smart telescope from getting damaged by direct sunlight exposure.
Tap “Safety” then “Disable” Read the warning that pops up then confirm if you want to deactivate the security.

2.5 Re-activating the security

If the security is deactivated, the observation screen displays a blue “enable” button. Tap that button when you want to revert to the standard secured mode.
Please note that if you reactivate the security while the solar filter is removed (Vespera) or the image is overexposed, the telescope will enter safe mode after a few seconds and will end the observation and the arm of the telescope in a secure position.

Removing the filter to observe the totality phase

• Deactivate the security (see above).
• Wait for the totality phase to begin.
• Gently remove the solar filter.
• Manually set exposure and gain if necessary.
• As soon as the totality ends, put back the solar filter.
• Ensure the image is not overexposed ( With Vespera revert to automatic settings if necessary).
• Re-engage the security mode.

3 Safe and no-stress eclipse observing scenario.

Here is a sample scenario you can follow to enjoy every aspect of the eclipse with your Vaonis smart telescope while keeping it safe. As the second part of the eclipse (from third contact to fourth contact) is a repetition of the first part in reverse order, this provides an opportunity to get various views. This scenario mainly address those who will experience the total eclipse.

Days before the eclipse

• Check that you have a solar filter and that it is not damaged.
• Train to master a regular solar observation by using the eclipse mode (even if there’s no eclipse).
• While NOT observing the sun, practice removing a filter without moving the telescope arm (for example, you can try this while observing the moon with the CLS or dual band filter, or just the lens ring).
• Get accustomed to the special eclipse features (manual exposure, gain, and focus) during solar observations with the solar filter ALWAYS ON. Try getting an overexposed image while security is active to experience how the telescope react (still keeping the solar filter on).
• Check the eclipse events timetable for your location in the Eclipse Guide .

The D day, ahead of the eclipse.

• Check that your smart telescope battery is fully charged. Get a spare external battery just in case.
• Check that you have plenty of storage space.

30 minutes before the PARTIAL eclipse begins. (SOLAR FILTER ON)

• Switch on your smart telescope
• Check your observatory is properly set
• Ensure save “live images” is activated
• start the eclipse mode
• Put the solar filter on
• Start the solar observation
• Adjust exposure, gain and focus if needed. If you end up with an overexposed image, revert to automatic settings ( Vespera only).

20 minutes before the TOTAL eclipse begins. (SOLAR FILTER ON)

• Deactivate the security.
• Progressively adjust exposure and gain if necessary.

Seconds leading to the totality. (SOLAR FILTER ON)

• Progressively adjust exposure and gain to capture the Baly’s beads with the solar filter on. You will be able to capture them with the solar filter off at the end of the totality.
• Once you’re not able to see anything while exposure and gain are high, this is the signal that you can safely remove the solar filter.
• Gently remove the filter.

Seconds leading to the totality. (SOLAR FILTER OFF)

• Continuously Adjust exposure and gain to observe the various features of the total eclipse ( prominences, inner corona and outer corona require different settings)

You may want to reduce exposure and gain 30 seconds or so before the totality ends ( to only have the chromosphere visible) to get ready to capture the Baly’s beads without the solar filter.

Do not forget to observe the eclipse with your own eyes (only during the totality phase)and to feel the mood around. There’s many features apart from the sun itself that can be experienced during a total eclipse. Check our eclipse guide to learn more (link)

End of totality, Baily’s beads and diamond ring reappearing. (SOLAR FILTER OFF)

• Prepare to put the filter back on
• Capture a few images of the Baly’s beads and the diamond ring without the filter.
• A few seconds after the Diamond ring becomes visible put yourself in front of the telescope to block sunlight and have time to gently put back the solar filter.
• Adjust the exposure and gain if necessary or revert to automatic settings if you struggle to find the right settings.

After totality ends (SOLAR FILTER ON)

• Adjust settings if needed or revert to automatic.
• Re-activate the security mode
• Relax, have a drink with your teammates while enjoying the rest of the show (Keep an eye on your telescope)

Have fun !