The Photographer's Ephemeris vs Solar Eclipse Timer

"Head and shoulders above the crowd is The Photographer’s Ephemeris. Odd name, great app." - National Geographic "One of the most useful apps for any nature photographer" - Outdoor Photographer Magazine "It worked perfectly. The program was dead on…" - National Geographic "One of the most powerful photography applications that I've seen, one that you'll be using for years and years." - AdoramaTV The Photographer's Ephemeris (TPE) helps plan outdoor photography shoots in natural light, particularly landscape and urban scenes. It's a map-centric Sun, Moon and Milky Way calculator: see how the light will fall on the land, day or night, for any location on earth. Whether you need at-a-glance information on today's sun, moon and Milky Way data for your current location, or need to plan a precise alignment of the full moon for a future shoot, TPE has the tools you need. The combination of augmented reality, line-of-sight analysis and visual search supports the most sophisticated photo planning needs. Night mode features a 3D representation of the Milky Way, pole stars and major constellations directly over the map, so you can easily visualize exactly how to align your shot. Research and save your own list of favorite photographic locations, using 7 different map types (including 2 offline maps) and save them in your locations list. Favorite locations are always displayed right on the map. Advanced features including visual sun and moon search, automatic time zone and elevation detection, correction for atmospheric refraction and height above the horizon, ensuring that you have the best possible information for planning your shoot. You can even determine when the sun or moon will rise from behind nearby hills and mountains. Key features: - Time/direction of sun, moon, and galactic center rise/set - View azimuth and altitude of sun/moon and the galactic center for any time of day/night - Milky Way, stars and asterisms visualization via 3D map overlay - Moon phase and % illumination - Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight - 2 topographic maps - 2 offline map types - Movable map pins: drag and drop the pin exactly where you need it - Map autorotation using the compass (on compatible devices) - Shadow lengths displayed to scale on map - Save any location you want: no fixed lists - Celestial events including moon phases, apogee, perigee, solstice, equinox - Solar eclipse details for August 12, 2026 and beyond: maps, simulator, times - Network connection not required for rise/set time, azimuths and sun/moon position Advanced features: - Augmented reality view for on location scouting - Saved location synchronization between devices and the free TPE web app - Automatic time zone detection - Elevation above sea level - Distance, bearing and elevation angle between any two points - Location import/export from KML - Magnetic north option - Configurable timeline display - Sun/moon transit times - 'Golden hour' time/duration - Light pollution overlay - Event countdown and notifications Geek features: - Line of sight analysis - Find when the sun/moon will appear from behind a hill or ridge - Advanced visual sun and moon search - Azimuth or altitude search priority - New crescent moon visibility - Distance to the visible horizon Available map types include: - Standard, Satellite/Hybrid, Terrain - OpenCycleMap Topographic - OpenStreetMap Sunrise/sunset color forecasts are available (covering lower 48, southern Canada and Europe) with an optional subscription to the Skyfire service, available via in-app purchase. Note: - Maps and elevation-based calculations require a data connection, except for offline map tiles previously downloaded and stored on your device - Topographic map data is available only between 60°N and 47°S - Availability of map types is subject to change, due to 3rd party map service availability, terms or conditions

The Solar Eclipse Timer app is marking its 6th eclipse since 2017, which speaks volumes about its reliability and the trust it has built within the eclipse-chasing community. Helping tens of thousands of people enjoy the eclipse more by being reminded to observe all the fascinating eclipse phenomena. Photographers are aided by down-to-the-second precision and countdowns. Since the 2026 path covers some remote areas as well as high-traffic spots in Spain where cell service could be overwhelmed on eclipse day, the app works offline once unlocked. So, geolocation and contact time calculation are all done within the app. This makes it a true "field tool." The app is free to try, and for only a $1.99 in-app purchase to unlock the 2026 eclipse, it's an easy "yes" for anyone who has invested time and travel to be in the path of totality. In-App Video Tutorial: The first button on the Home Screen provides a comprehensive tutorial that explains all the app's functions and how to use them effectively. Audio and Notification Tests: The second button lets users run a "device sound check" to confirm that audio cues, spoken timings, and notifications are audible, which is critical since the app is designed to talk to you. Practice Session Video: The third button launches a 4-minute-45-second video of my actual eclipse-day observation site in 2024, synchronized with the app's real-time announcements. This allows both observers and photographers to practice their routines repeatedly, such as observing for shadow bands, adjusting shutter speeds, and knowing when to remove solar filters. Additionally, dialogue boxes appear as functions are selected, giving you more guidance. On eclipse day, after you get into the path, you can be timing the eclipse in 3 easy steps: 1. Tap to geolocate. 2. Tap to have the app calculate the precise contact times. 3. Tap to load the times into the timer. That's it! You are timing the eclipse. A major convenience feature of the app is the automatic calculation of the clock times needed to capture a perfect set of partial-phase images before and after totality. It is the only app in the world with this function. Collaborating with the late Fred Espenak (Mr. Eclipse) on Photographers Mode before the 2024 eclipse gives the app an incredible pedigree. For pros who need to stay "in the zone" and only care about timing and countdowns from C1 through C4, this mode is a game-changer. You can manually enter coordinates and save the site as a file. This helps compare multiple potential viewing locations. The app includes a hyperlink to the Solar Eclipse Timer website, which gives access to downloadable worksheets to record your partial-phase image times or the chores you want to do in Photographers mode, as well as my Master Stop Chart to count full and partial camera stops. I have observed and photographed six total solar eclipses and one annular eclipse. The concept of an eclipse “talking” timer was developed by me in 2002. I have been helping people time eclipses for almost 25 years. When you use the app, you will appreciate that it was designed by an eclipse chaser. There is also a link to learn more about my comprehensive eclipse observation and photography book, now in its second edition, titled “Eclipse Day.” The app also has a partial eclipse timing mode. This app is ad-free and does not track any user data. ALWAYS USE EYE PROTECTION DURING THE PARTIAL PHASES OF A SOLAR ECLIPSE! OR EVEN WHEN IT IS BRIGHT! NOT DOING SO CAN CAUSE EYE DAMAGE! We are NOT liable for misuse of the app, causing inaccurate timing, or the lack of eye safety precautions during the observation of a solar eclipse. The "glasses off" and "glasses on" statements are guides based on the calculated contact times. The timing can be affected by your phone's clock and the shape of the shadow due to the edge of the lunar limb. Use the Adjust buttons for Lunar Limb variation time adjustments. Glasses should be ON if it's bright!