Preparing for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, Pt. 4 (Star Tracker Tips incl. Daytime Polar Alignment)

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❤️ Patreon ❤️
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Resources
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Solar Eclipse Timer App:

Baader Astrosolar Safety Film for making your own custom filters (3 stores in case any sell out):

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Contents
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0:00 Why use a tracker?
3:05 2 things I forgot: Raw vs. JPEG, Spare batteries
4:51 Daytime Polar Alignment
9:27 Meridian Flip Discussion
12:50 Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks Discussion
18:20 Squarespace

This video is sponsored by Squarespace.

[ueligrunder]

i will travel from Switzerland to Texas to look this solar eclipse. It will be my second total ecipse after 11.8.99 in France.. I am planing tow others to see.... Thanks for this great chanel

[junktrunk]

This is such a good call out about the meridian flip, Nico, thank you! Now that I look it up for my planned location, the sun crosses the meridian about 2 minutes before C1. I would have been so confused and frustrated!

[sunnymind]

Thanks so much for clarifying the polar alignment stuff. I was really wondering about it

[davidg]

Great series!. I'll be using some of these tips. I won't be in the path of totality but my area will be just shy of 90% obscuration. I'm all set for both visual and photographic observation. And I'll be distributing solar viewers to my family and close friends in the weeks before (I always keep a bunch handy, to avoid shortages and price gouging when solar stuff happens).
In one of these episodes, you need to give a gentle reminder to keep a cover/cap over any lens without a solar filter. Finder scopes, for example, are a common oversight.

[bradperry]

Thanks so much for this series. Daytime polar alignment is one of the problems I've been working on solving as of late and it is very encouraging to see I was exactly on the right track with PS Align Pro and a piece of wood to hold the phone. I appreciate how clearly you explain everything in all of your videos without ever dumbing it down so much that the important details get omitted.

[flappah]

For those who have the MSM Nomad tracker they also have a Day Time Polar Alignment kit. It basically lets you assemble your phone to the tracker casing.

[francislesliezabala]

Thank you for Nico for creating this video. I now can get a proper day alignment with my StarAdventurer GTI. Clear Skies!

[dgodiex]

Great didactic skill Nico! keep it up and thanks for all the valuable info.

[travlon]

These videos have been very helpful. Thanks so much for doing them.
I completely forgot about the meridian flip. I'll be practicing with all this in the next few days in my backyard. I want to be ALL ready on eclipse day. I will have a second camera with a wide angle lens, for the comet and planets all set up, ready to go.

[JeffBeairsto]

Thanks. This was very helpful, I hadn't considered the possibility of viewing/shooting the comet.

[gabewrsewell]

thank you again! i’m not sure i would’ve even remembered to deal with the meridian flip on the day of reckoning. and that’s funny we have the exact same plan for the comet during totality, i also have the amazing Sigma 40mm Art lens, and if i can afford a third camera within the next month then i was going to frame it up with jupiter, venus, the eclipse, and the comet as well! :)

[davidletz]

Texas is going to be a bona fide madhouse!! 🤣

[COGSCNY]

Keep these coming I’m completely infected with eclipse fever and cant wait for April.

[MrPixelspin]

This video comes at the perfect moment. I am planning to photograph the eclipse with the StarAdventurer, an R5 and 70/200 2.8 with 2x extender. This is gonna be my first eclipse ever, and we are travelling from the Netherlands to San Antonio. I am getting a bit stressed. 😂

[joeguetzloff]

I was unaware you could add comets in Stellarium. Thanks Nico! That makes daily map research null and void. 😁

[sorggalder]

Hi Nico!!!😊 thank you so much. Appreciate the tip.

[WilliFromEarth]

Thank you for the hint with the scrap wood.

[rj]

I’ll be heading to Arkansas for this eclipse. This video is extremely helpful. Thanks man.

[terrance_huang]

7:13 Smartphone compass has very very high error angle, even after "calibration", the magnets in equatorial mount motors also affects the phone. Better use a map, and roughly point the mount to a far away true north building's edge or other object

[robertharper]

thanks for the suggestion regarding using the polar alignment app. i had been trying to hold it next to the mount with poor results (duh) and now have a little platform with a spare dovetail mounted to perform the alignment (sometimes i skip over the really simple ways to do things)