August’s Total Solar Eclipse Could Ruin Your Phone’s Camera

Without proper protection, looking directly into the total solar eclipse could cause serious damage to your eyes.

The same goes for your phone. Seriously.

According to experts, you'll want to come prepared to photograph the total solar eclipse that'll be visible from much of Idaho this August. For your eyes, regular sunglasses aren't going to protect you properly. There are "solar glasses" easily available online that will allow you to view the total solar eclipse without risking damage to your sight. There are also precautions you can take to protect your phone's camera.

Remember when we were kids and we would burn stuff using a magnifying glass? That's exactly what the eclipse could do to your phone's camera sensor if you try to shoot it "naked' so to speak. To our knowledge, there are no solar filters available for cell phone cameras, but they do make them for standard cameras. That being said, there's no guarantee that type of filter will properly protect your phone.

Pat Nagel of Idaho Camera says it is possible to shoot the eclipse using your phone, if you do it perfectly:

You can shoot the sun when it is totally eclipsed, 100 percent, you can shoot it out of filter and with a cell phone, but if it's 99 percent you’re going to fry your camera.

If worrying about damaging your phone isn't enough, we also have to deal with hotel's cancelling reservations and raising prices sky high for the eclipse.