3.16 Beta includes multiple improvements to solar eclipse simulator

Photo Ephemeris Web
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Available now at beta.photoephemeris.com with multiple improvements to the solar eclipse simulator - full details below.

The main takeaways are:

  1. It’s MUCH faster when you have Baily’s beads enabled, even at full resolution
  2. Beads, chromosphere and corona are now shown even for observers just outside the central path - an important enhancement for advanced eclipse chasers
  3. The simulator now behaves much like we photographers would - filter on for partial, off just before C2 (timing based on your chosen obscuration threshold), then on again after C3
  4. You can choose from three different solar filter types (Baader, NISI Nano Pro, Thousand Oaks Optical)

Simulator with Thousand Oaks Optical filter selected.
Simulator with Thousand Oaks Optical filter selected.1184×1106 52.2 KB

  • Solar Filter Selector: New UI control to choose between different solar filter color simulations (Default, Nisi Pro Nano, Baader AstroSolar, Thousand Oaks Optical)

  • Obscuration Threshold Selector: New UI control to configure when the simulated solar filter is removed, with options from 99.99% to 99.5% obscuration

  • Warning indicator: Yellow warning icon appears when obscuration threshold is set below 99.9% to remind users about camera sensor protection

  • Localized tooltips: Added tooltips for solar filter and obscuration threshold controls in all 7 supported languages

  • Improved Baily’s Beads timing: filter removal is now synchronized with Baily’s beads visibility for more realistic eclipse simulation

  • Unified beads visibility: Both total eclipse and near-path observer scenarios now use obscuration-based beads visibility

  • Exposure slider label: renamed from “Baily’s Beads” to “±EV” for clarity, as this now controls simulated exposure during totality, not just beads “flare”

  • Eclipse simulation enhancements: better chromosphere rendering, corona visibility control

  • Snappier filter transitions: Filter removal transition is now much quicker (0.00025 obscuration width) for more realistic simulation

  • Computed greatest eclipse coordinates: When viewing solar eclipse events, selecting an eclipse now computes more accurate coordinates, time, and duration using Besselian elements instead of the NASA 5MCSE lookup table data

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