Can I photograph a total solar eclipse with a digital camera?

by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
Question by : Can I photograph a total solar eclipse with a digital camera?
I have found tons of information about using an SLR or basic "point and shoot" cameras but not much on using a very basic digital camera (not a DSLR). This may sound completely stupid but I don't know much about this. Can I look at the eclipse using my view screen since you can't look at a partial eclipse directly? Do I need a special filter so I don't damage my camera? Any help and guidelines are greatly appreciated.


Best answer:
Answer by AndreasYou won't damage the camera, but the picture will likely be completely washed out, due to overexposure. Use a pinhole camera (look up plans online) to view the eclipse.

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On May 20/21, 2012 an annular eclipse of the Sun will be seen in the earth's northern Hemisphere. The path of the Moon's antumbral shadow will begin in eastern Asia and crosses the North Pacific Ocean and will end in the western United State. The Moon's penumbral shadow will cover a larger area : East Asia, North Pacific, North America and Greenland. In the United States, the eclipse occurs in the late afternoon of May 20 local time Source: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov annular eclipse - A solar eclipse in which the Moon's antumbral shadow traverses Earth (the Moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun). During the maximum phase of an annular eclipse, the Sun appears as a blindingly bright ring surrounding the Moon. antumbra - The antumbra is that part of the Moon's shadow that extends beyond the umbra. It is similar to the penumbra in that the Sun is only partially blocked by the Moon. From within the antumbra, the Sun appears larger than the Moon which is seen in complete silhouette. An annular eclipse is seen when an observer passes through the antumbra. penumbra - The penumbra is the weak or pale part of the Moon's shadow. From within the penumbra, the Sun is only partially blocked by the Moon as in the case of a partial eclipse. This contrasts with the umbra, where the Sun is completely blocked resulting in a total eclipse. Source: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov Related site: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov Eclipse map/figure: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov "For more information on solar ...

Total Solar Eclipse | Solar Eclipse Information