On Aug. 21, the United States is set to witness a total solar eclipse after nearly 100 years. This cosmic phenomenon is sure to be a huge spectacle across the country, with NASA and professional photographers getting ready to capture this rare event.

First, what is a solar eclipse and how does it differ from a lunar eclipse? It is when the Earth, sun, and moon line up in such a way that it seems the day will turn into night. A lunar eclipse, meanwhile, is an event where "the Earth gets in the way of the sun's light hitting the moon," according to Space Place.

Since this kind of circumstance does not happen often, people all over the United States are making dire preparations to record this event. Photographers, especially, are mostly excited to take photos of the total solar eclipse, while NASA is set to broadcast the whole occurrence with a live video.

Undoubtedly, even non-professionals will be scrambling to take pictures of the eclipse. Without the use of special cameras and fancy equipment though, is it possible? Yes, it is. Smartphones nowadays boast of several options and settings to help improve the quality of the shots, and with the right tweaks, one could get a perfect shot of the solar eclipse that can be bragged about on social media.

According to The Telegraph, there are quick tips that can help take a decent eclipse shot using a smartphone. First, one must pick a smartphone that sports a high-quality camera, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7. Choosing the perfect location to take a shot is an essential step too.

Another tip is to reduce the exposure of the smartphone camera This will help improve the quality of the photo when focused on the sun, as the amount of light, when reached the lens, will be much more controlled and not that heavy.

Pointing the camera at the exposed sun for a long time could contribute potential damage, so it's important to attach a sun filter to the camera when taking a picture of the sun. During the totality of the eclipse, this can be removed.

According to NASA, using telephoto lens is also an added plus when taking solar eclipse shots. Without it, only unmagnified shots can be taken with the smartphone, and the pictures are so much nicer when details of the eclipse can be seen when zoomed 12 to 18x.

There are still a lot of time to prepare, so check out other tips on how to capture the perfect solar eclipse photo. During the event, remember to use proper eye protection as well so as not to damage the eyesight when viewing the eclipse.