Astrophotographer Jason Kurth has astounded viewers with his recently released timelapse video of the ring of fire solar eclipse. The video, shot in 8K and consisting of nearly 2,000 images, showcases this celestial event in unprecedented detail.
In order to capture the eclipse, Kurth embarked on a journey from Florida to southeast Utah, taking over 200,000 photos throughout the process. This extensive amount of data demanded a newly built workstation with an impressive 192 gigabytes of RAM, as over four terabytes of information were gathered and processed for the project.
To achieve these incredible results, Kurth employed a custom double-stacked hydrogen alpha solar telescope alongside a monochrome camera. Color was added in post-processing to enhance the visual experience for viewers.
While the video went viral on Instagram, accumulating over 850,000 views, it also faced skepticism from some viewers who questioned its authenticity due to the still appearance of the Sun. In response to these claims, Kurth released a higher-resolution version on YouTube to better illustrate the Sun’s movements. However, comments persist, alleging that the video is a fraud.
Kurth addressed the criticism by explaining that he manually corrected drift and jitter in the video to keep the Sun centered, which contributed to the perceived lack of movement. He acknowledges the “uncanny aspect” of the timelapse but remains proud of his work and appreciative that his dedication is being recognized.
Those who are interested in exploring more of Kurth’s captivating photography can visit his Instagram and website for further discoveries.
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