, Destin moved beyond digital convenience toward the unforgiving rigor of analog film. The objective seemed simple yet bordered on the impossible: capture the entire progression of the eclipse, from partiality to totality and back, on a single frame of
slide film. Unlike digital composites, this method offers no safety net; one stray vibration or miscalculated shutter speed would render the entire endeavor a failure.
I Accidentally Photographed Something Unknown During the Eclipse - Smarter Every Day 298
Engineering the Impossible Shot
The fundamental challenge of multi-exposure film photography lies in the camera's mechanics. Most systems automatically advance the film after each shot to prevent accidental overlaps. To bypass this, Destin consulted experts at the
. This medium-format beast allows for a multi-shot mode, keeping the same piece of film stationary while the shutter fires repeatedly. Under the Missouri sky, the team orchestrated a delicate dance. They fired the shutter every few minutes based on precise mathematical intervals provided by
. Each exposure had to account for varying light intensities, necessitating a physical filter for partial phases and a bare lens for the fleeting moments of the corona.
An Unidentified Transient in the Corona
As the moon finally obscured the solar disk, revealing the ethereal glow of the corona, high-definition video caught a fleeting anomaly. A dark speck zipped across the frame with startling velocity. In the scientific spirit of inquiry, Destin refused to jump to conclusions. He engaged
to analyze the object’s angular velocity. While a simple insect can mimic a distant object if it is close to the lens, Destin sought corroboration. By comparing his footage with that of fellow YouTuber
, positioned 130 meters away, he identified the same object in both cameras. This parallax verification confirmed the object was not a local bug but a high-altitude entity, likely a satellite traversing the path of totality at orbital speeds.
The Revelation of the Latent Image
The tension of the experiment reached its zenith at
slide. When the film emerged, it revealed a flawless sequence: eleven distinct suns forming a perfect arc across the frame, with the brilliant corona centered as the crown jewel.
reacted with visible awe, noting that such a feat had not been successfully executed on film in decades. It was a triumph of geometry, patience, and manual precision. Beyond the technical victory, the project served as a reminder that the universe rewards those who look closely, whether they are hunting for satellites or simply trying to freeze a moment of celestial alignment on a silver halide emulsion.
