On the evening of August 12th 2026, for just under two hours, a 95% solar eclipse passed across the Devon skies. A magnificent spectacle that reminded me of my previous post about how ‘tiny and insignificant, and how rare and precious we all are’ (Contact).
Interestingly, I filmed the event in time lapse with the DJI Pocket 3. Despite using the appropriate solar filter, the camera couldn't really resolve the eclipse itself; the wide-angle lens simply left the sun as a tiny point in the frame.
What it did capture, though, was the skies gradually darkening as the moon passed directly in front of the sun. I did get some photographs, although again, the filter was so strong that we can see the sunspots on the sun, but not the horizon.
However, this didn’t take away from the majesty of the event. I chose to set up in our fields, away from the crowds. My family were with me too, setting up tents so they could stay and watch the Perseid meteor shower as well.
Sometimes, the event, the experience, is far more important than the recording of it. Whilst I would have loved to have taken some outstanding photographs, just being there was enough.