How to take photos of the eclipse with your smartphone

(FOX 11) - If you plan on catching the total solar eclipse when it happens later this month- pics, or it didn't happen.

And NASA is helping any amateur photographers out there with a tip sheet full of suggestions for those hoping to snap a photo on their smartphone of the rare celestial event on August 21.

Just don't let your desire to document it for social media keep you from actually experiencing the once in a lifetime event.

TIPS

NASA says, "Using optical filters to photograph the eclipse when you are not on the path of totality is inherently risky because you are looking at the blindingly bright solar surface. NASA makes no recommendations about how to safely photograph the partial eclipse phases because of the huge number of optical filter and camera models that may potentially be used and often with unsafe outcomes."

NASA says, "Once the solar disk begins to appear you cannot use the telephoto unless it is properly filtered or you run the risk of shining concentrated sunlight on the camera imaging sensor and potentially damaging it. NASA makes no recommendations on exactly what kind of solar filter you can safely use under these circumstances, but in all applications, the filter must be placed in front of the telephoto lens and not behind it closest to the camera lens."