Deep Sky Marianas: Partial hybrid solar eclipse | Lifestyle

On April 20, 2023 after a long five hours under the sun, my first thought was, “Man I should’ve brought a canopy and put on some sunscreen.” As someone who lives with ADHD, I was hyper-focused on capturing photos of the eclipse every five seconds completely disregarding the sun’s intensity leaving me with a burnt bald head and arms and looking like Vin Diesel with a bad sunburn.

However, the experience was worth it. This is the first time I’ve captured a solar eclipse since I started astrophotography in 2020 and I couldn’t help but feel anxious prior to the event. “Is my solar filter going to work? What if it doesn’t and I look through the telescope and possibly go blind.” Thankfully, the process went smoothly and resulted in some great photos. I set up my equipment at Natibu Park here in Tinian at 11:30 a.m. and managed to take some photos of the sun before the eclipse. I also had some spare time to go live on Facebook to show family and friends the sun and its sunspots.

The hybrid solar eclipse began soon after at 2:16 p.m., with its maximum peak at 3:37 p.m. and ending at 4:47 p.m. I took a little over a thousand photos and was ecstatic with the outcome. Astrophotography can be grueling and tasking, but when the photos come out so well, it is extremely rewarding. I’m honored to share my work with everyone and hope the people of the Marianas enjoy this photo I put together showcasing the different phases of this 2023 solar eclipse. Si Yu’us Ma’åse’! See you at the next celestial event!