12 August 2026
The Moon covers roughly one third of the Sun above Roninmäki hill in Jyväskylä, Finland.
By the time the eclipse reached its maximum, the Sun and Moon had already disappeared behind the forest for their rendezvous. This photograph was taken shortly before that, as the partially eclipsed Sun shone through thin clouds above the treeline.
There was something a little magical about the moment — the darkened sky, the glowing crescent of the Sun, and the feeling of watching two celestial bodies briefly align above the forest.
Making of
Photographing the Sun required an extremely short exposure to preserve its shape and the crescent-like silhouette created by the Moon.
The image was taken at 600 mm, ISO 60, 1/30,000 s and f/16.
These settings make the scene appear much darker than it looked to the eye. Standing on Roninmäki, the sky and surrounding landscape were considerably brighter; the strong underexposure was needed to bring out the outline of the partially covered solar disc.
Michael Emmerich 