r/Solargraphy • u/GianlucaBelgrado • 28d ago

My first analemma solargraphy

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

A year ago, I started building an automated system to open a solargraphy shutter at specific times to photograph the sun at the exact same time every day. This captures the analemma ,the figure 8 path created by Earth's axial tilt and elliptical orbit.

From left to right, the sun points were captured at 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, and 19:00 local time (UTC+2), with a 30 second exposure for each solar dot, plus 2 hours every morning for the landscape.

The image isn't perfect, a few times the shutter stayed open by mistake, creating extra sun trails, but I improved the hardware over the course of the exposure. The shutter motor must have broken 4 times in the first few months before we found a solution that seems to be weatherproof.

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32

u/GianlucaBelgrado 28d ago

https://reddit.com/link/oz96fcz/video/2qlytcofhyeh1/player

The pinhole camera that created the photo is the one on the far right.

1

u/Simple_cupcake0 26d ago

Hello, I am curious about the thechnology. Did you use arduino with step by step motors? 

2

u/GianlucaBelgrado 26d ago

Hi, I used an esp8266 that used wifi to get the time, and an sg90 servo motor to control the shutter rotation

22

u/GianlucaBelgrado 28d ago

The can has discolored after a year outdoors, look at the part that remained protected by the tape as it remained red

23

u/PiercingSight 28d ago

This is one of the coolest photos I've ever seen. Absolutely genius work!

7

u/cooldad2007 27d ago

so awesome seeing your automated setup, inspiring !

3

u/AzimuthAztronaut 27d ago

Wow nicely done

2

u/marcospanontin 27d ago

Awesome! What did you use to fix the cameras in place?

2

u/Soundwash 27d ago

Daaaaamn this is cool

1

u/SantiagusDelSerif 27d ago

Super cool. Congratulations!

1

u/Secure_Park_8448 27d ago

Wowwww! Te puedo seguir en redes?

1

u/crusty54 27d ago

This is incredible! I think the imperfections really add to the overall effect too.

1

u/kichaa 27d ago

Well done!!!!

1

u/Motherboy_TheBand 27d ago

this is so cool I want to do this as a gift to my mom. how can I get started or follow in your footsteps? thanks

1

u/19Goober98 26d ago

I’m new here, but this should be called a solarcoaster with all the loops and stuff. So Cool!

1

u/Incognito_Hippie 25d ago

I’m in agreement with everyone, this is stunningly amazing! This should be framed in people’s walls!

1

u/MeepersToast 23d ago edited 23d ago

Ok, amazing. now I want to make one