Eclipse totality over Sassendalen, 2015 (digital photo)

Creator: Luc Jamet This is a picture of the 2015/03/20 solar eclipse as seen from Svalbard. Totality had begun 16s before this picture was taken, about 100m (300 ft) over Sassendalen, Spitsbergen Island. The photo is a HDR composition made from 3 takes at 1/6, 1/2 and 1.6s exposure times. We can see clearly the lunar shadow's edge in the sky. The shadow on the ground is less evident but seems to be there. The bright spot in the upper left part is Venus. “This is just a supremely beautiful image which got joint admiration from all of the judges. The colours are perfect and the blend of the isolated snowy landscape frames the surreal majesty of the totally eclipsed Sun perfectly. It's an incredibly peaceful image.” Pete Lawrence Born digital photograph entitled 'Eclipse totality over Sassendalen' by Luc Jamet in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway on 20th March 2015. Taken with Canon EOS 7D camera with a 16mm f/5 lens, ISO 200. Winner of Skyscapes category and Overall Winner of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2015.