Here are the fake photos of the 2017 solar eclipse spreading online

ByCraig Haley

After the amazing spectacle that was the total solar eclipse that occurred in August 21st 2017 across large areas in the United States, a number of fake (or old photos) have started to circulate online claiming to depict the event.

Here are some of the photos that do not show the 2017 solar eclipse.

1.

The above photo – probably the most prolifically shared fake photo online – apparently depicts the solar eclipse where the light glare forms a perfect cross, and has been shared by many religious-themed social media pages. However this certainly doesn’t depict the 2017 solar eclipse.

For one, the photo was originally uploaded in December 2011 by DeviantArt user ObsidianDigital who asserts in the caption that the photo is a digital production using Adobe After Effects. However his creation has been flipped on its side for the desired cross effect.

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2.

The photo above is actually real, but it’s outdated since it was actually taken by Colleen Pinski in 2012 in New Mexico. The boy in the forefront of the photo was actually over a mile away from Pinski as she took the photo, which created the effect that the sun and moon are much larger than they would be.


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3.

This photo also shows another digital art creation that was originally uploaded to DeviantArt. In this case the photo was uploaded in 2009 by user A4size-ska and has been spread as a genuine eclipse photo for a number of total or partial solar eclipses since.

 
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4.

This photo certainly looks beautiful, but it’s not real. In reality the image of the eclipse has been super-imposed on an already stunning photo of an ocean vista. The photographer of the original image is Art Lewis and his original image (sans the eclipse) can be seen below.


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5.

This photo has appeared a number of times on social media, though different versions exist that place the plane in the photo in different locations, and other examples of the photo have no plane at all – suggesting the photo is, to some degree, a work of digital art. The photo also appears on Shutterstock without a plane at all, along with the caption “Elements of this image furnished by NASA”. Vague – yes – but what we do know is that this photo appeared on the Internet long before August 2017, so it certainly doesn’t show the August 21st eclipse.

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6.

This photo was originally uploaded by the Facebook page of the 82nd airborne division and clearly states that it is not a real photo (the background eclipse is from 2013 and the soldiers were super-imposed in front.) However some other Internet users have claimed the eclipse photo is real and from 2017, and was taken at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. It wasn’t.

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7.

This photo is also another digital artwork piece and comes from DeviantArt user High Altitude Eclipse. It was uploaded in 2010.

The real photos…

(The photos below this point are GENUINE)

It’s odd, we think, that considering there are so many absolutely fantastic photos of the eclipse, that certain individuals have to create or spread fake photos. Some of the real photos of the event are easily available online, like this still, taken by NASA photographer Joel Kowsky that shows the International Space Station fly across the partially blocked sun.

Or this image also taken by a NASA photographer, Carla Thomas shows the sun as the total eclipse occurs. The above two photos are only a selection of genuine photos that show the total eclipse in all its glory. There really is no need to share fake ones.

If you have any more fake photos – get in touch. And remember, to keep on top of all this online nonsense, give our Facebook and Twitter pages a follow.