AAAP member Daniel Mints was at the Observatory on August 12, 2026, ready to catch the partial solar eclipse—and thankfully, his camera was ready too! New Jersey experienced a partial eclipse that afternoon, with maximum eclipse occurring around 1:54 p.m. Dan captured the observing session with his Canon R6 and 50mm lens, while the close-up images of the Sun were taken with his Dwarf 2 smart telescope.

A solar eclipse is always a good excuse to stop what you’re doing, look up, and spend some time with the sky. These photographs give us a glimpse of what Dan and others at the Observatory were able to enjoy that afternoon. Thank you, Dan, for sharing your eclipse adventure with Sidereal Times—and for proving once again that you don’t need to travel to the ends of the Earth to enjoy a celestial event!