How to Capture the Sun in a Beer Can [D/I/Y solar photography]-yep....

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/678b5f869165.jpg[/atsimg]

Solargraphs trace the seasons by exposing a sheet of photosensitive paper to sunlight for up to a year. The bright arches in this image mark the sun’s path across the sky in Middleburg, the Netherlands from the summer solstice to the winter solstice. Amateur astronomer and photographer Jan Koeman slipped a piece of photographic paper into an empty beer can, poked a hole in the can with a pin, and suspended the makeshift camera in the garden from July to December.

The sun’s daily tracks, high in the summer and low in the winter, were etched onto the paper. Sometimes the tracks were interrupted by clouds, and some rainy days are missing entirely

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Source: www.wired.com...


So simple but yet... so ingenious at the same time. Keeping it simple stupid must be his motto.

I find this very fascinating. I am sure it will be improved on somehow but I have to say with the little of effort, you can create your own amazing things.

This will have to go on the list of things to do. Anyone try this before?

I like the article. you can find additional links for D.I.Ys Space obeservation projects.

If you tried this before and you have your prints/result(s). please post them up. Or any advice you can offer for best production. Thanks in advance.

No Do It Yourself skywatchers amongst us?

I find that hard to believe.

This one, I have decided, to try. I need some advice on the photo paper, Anyone?

reply to post by anon72


I personally think it's a great idea and can't believe more people haven't commented on it. I want to do this, but like you, I also need to know where to get my hands on some of that photo paper. I've heard of it, but haven't seen it. I guess google is our friend.

amazing! i like this, technology can be so simple and efficient sometimes we do not need to look into such complex areas of technology but i guess a complex study can bring about a simple solution.
Thanks for sharing

reply to post by anon72


Very interesting Anon72 !

So the arches are kind of like tree rings ?

reply to post by UmbraSumus


I love that mini/avatar.

Yes, I think you say it best... Kind of like rings for trees. Nice.

I guess the clouds would be like the activity that gets preserved in time in the trees. I like that concept.

Star.

reply to post by anon72


I came across some other examples of solargraphy.


This solargraph is a six-month exposure of Helsinki taken with a home-made pinhole camera from a balcony.

An essential part of this method is the building of the cameras out of empty cans or tins. One of the most special things about this method is the fact that even if black and white photography paper is used as the light sensitive material, the outcome is a color picture.
The weather during half a year is seen in the image above. The Sun´s slow path across the sky is beautifully captured by this unique image. The Sun´s altitude (it´s peak) is reached in midsummer on June 21st in the northern hemisphere. Every day the Sun leaves one line after one. The tracks of the moving Sun are visible and increase progressively from December to June.
The missing tracks are due to the Sun beeing obscured on overcast days.

link

For the price of some black and white photographic paper this would be an interesting little project.




Frank Kelly Freas: The Art of Science Fiction (Donning 1977) - the little green man was originally painted for an Astounding Science Fiction cover to illustrate Fredric Brown's Martians Go Home

Afew other examples of his work found here. I particularly like the piece titled "Fix it Daddy"

Umbra Sumus

thats a creepy alien lol