Solargraphs trace the seasons by exposing a sheet of photosensitive paper to sunlight for up to a year. The bright arches in this image mark the sun’s path across the sky in Middleburg, the Netherlands from the summer solstice to the winter solstice. Amateur astronomer and photographer Jan Koeman slipped a piece of photographic paper into an empty beer can, poked a hole in the can with a pin, and suspended the makeshift camera in the garden from July to December. The sun’s daily tracks, high in the summer and low in the winter, were etched onto the paper. Sometimes the tracks were interrupted by clouds, and some rainy days are missing entirely.

“Solargraphy is very basic photography. And it is a combination of art, science and chemistry,” Koeman said in an email to Wired.com. “Everyone can do it, and the camera (empty tin) is for free!”

Images: Jan Koeman

See Also:

• The Making of a Mind-Blowing DIY Sun Photo
• Huge Magnetic Filament Erupts on the Sun
• Reader Photo Gallery: Awesome DIY Astronomy
• Reader Photo Gallery: DIY Astrophotos From Star-Geek Campout

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Authors: Lisa Grossman

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