🚀 Solar Eclipse Workbench 1.3.0 Released — Now with a Simulated Camera and More Precise Eclipse Timing

Today marks the release of Solar Eclipse Workbench 1.3.0, a major update that brings powerful new capabilities for eclipse photographers, researchers, and developers. This version focuses on two big themes: camera simulation and significantly improved timing accuracy.

You can explore or download the new release here:

👉 GitHub: https://github.com/AstroWimSara/SolarEclipseWorkbench

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🌌 New Feature: Simulated Camera for Testing & Demos

One of the standout additions in version 1.3.0 is the Simulated Camera system. Whether you're developing scripts, running training sessions, or testing workflows without having physical hardware connected, this new feature makes it easy and safe.

Key components:

• BaseCamera and VirtualCamera
  A new modular camera architecture provides the foundation for both real and virtual camera operations.
• GPhoto‑style method stubs on VirtualCamera
  Methods like get_config, set_config, get_storageinfo, and exit mimic real hardware, delivering seamless compatibility.
• Easy access via get_camera_dict(..., is_simulator=True)
  Instantly spin up a virtual camera for demos or automated testing.
• Example scripts and tests included
  • tests/test_virtual_camera.py
  • example_scripts/testVirtualCamera.txt

Together, these additions dramatically improve the development experience when building scripts—no need to keep a DSLR connected on your desk for every test run.

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📷 Improved Support for Real Cameras

Version 1.3.0 also introduces several enhancements for those using real camera hardware:

• New GPhotoCameraAdapter
  This adapter wraps gphoto2 functionality cleanly and consistently.
• Vendor‑specific adapters (Canon, Nikon)
  More reliable behavior and better vendor integration.
• Background probing of cameras
  Keeps the GUI responsive while cameras are detected or queried.
• Low‑level fallback mechanisms for capture operations
  Increased reliability during eclipse-critical moments.
• Defensive handling of gphoto2 issues
  Includes fallbacks for storage, time, and configuration errors, plus a one‑time reinitialization retry.

These improvements help ensure the Workbench remains stable and dependable during high‑stakes eclipse captures.

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🌙 More Accurate Eclipse Timing with Improved ΔT Handling

Precise timing is essential for planning and automating eclipse photography. Version 1.3.0 makes a big leap forward:

• Delta T (TT − UT1) from Astropy/IERS
  The Workbench now uses Astropy and official IERS data to calculate accurate ΔT values for reference moments. This leads to significantly improved precision for:

  • First contact
  • Second/third contact
  • Maximum eclipse
  • Totality duration estimations

• Robust fallback mechanism
  If internet access is unavailable or ephemeris data cannot be updated:

  • The Workbench falls back to existing CSV-based Delta T tables.
  • Parsing of td_ge / t0 is now more robust.
  • Additional safeguards prevent failures when ephemeris files are missing.

Accurate ΔT means better eclipse predictions—and better photos.

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📝 Documentation & Diagnostics Improvements

To make the new features easier to use:

• Simulator CLI flag documented in README
• Additional runtime logging & diagnostic prints
  Helpful during development and troubleshooting.

These refinements ensure newcomers and advanced users alike have clear, reliable guidance.

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🎉 Wrapping Up

Solar Eclipse Workbench 1.3.0 is a major step forward for both photographers and developers. Between camera simulation, improved hardware reliability, and more accurate eclipse timing, this update makes the Workbench more powerful, stable, and flexible than ever.

🔗 Check out the release and full source code on GitHub:

https://github.com/AstroWimSara/SolarEclipseWorkbench