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Eric , Chris and Saul

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DIY Pinhole Projector to Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse

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One of the easiest and safe ways to watch a solar eclipse is with a DIY pinhole projector using 2 sheets of cardboard.

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Hannah and Neha

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Tips, tricks, and hacks for the tech in your life.

In case you haven't heard, there's a solar eclipse coming! But while eclipses are cool, unless you're in the path of totality - i.e., the part of the country where the Moon will completely obstruct the Sun - you'll need to take some safety precautions to safely view the eclipse. (Even then, you'll still need to wear glasses before and after the moments when it's totally blocked.) After all, just because part of the Sun is covered doesn't mean you should look directly at the uncovered part of it. Eclipse glasses are a good way to go, but counterfeit models are making rounds on sites like Amazon. Plus, even if you buy certified ones, they might not make it to you in time.

Fortunately, there's another option: a pinhole projector. Putting together a pinhole projector is about as easy as it gets, and while it doesn't quite have the same "wow factor" as looking directly at the partially blocked Sun, it'll still let you safely view what's happening without potentially going blind.

Supplies

There are many ways to make a pinhole projector, but you really just need two things: something with a pinhole in it, and something to project the image on.

If you're in a rush or on a budget, just take two stiff pieces of paper (paper plates or card stock tend to work well, but even regular printer paper should do the job) and poke a pinhole in one with a pin. If you're really in a pinch, you can even make a pinhole projector by just curling your fingers to only let a pinprick of light through.

How to use it

Now that you've got your piece of paper with a pinhole, hold it up and let the sunlight shine through it. Then, using your second piece of paper (or a wall) as a screen, you'll be able to see an image of the partially obscured Sun, all without burning out your retinas.

As a safety note: you want to look at the projection created by the pinhole on the wall, so keep your back to the Sun, and look at the image created by the light shining through. D o not look at the Sun directly through the pinhole.

Bonus round: the physics of pinhole projectors

Now that you've got your eclipse-viewing plans sorted out, here's how this device works. Pinhole projectors take advantage of a bit of optical physics known as the camera obscura effect.

Generally, light travels in straight lines. So when an object is illuminated, light will continue to bounce off it in a straight line. The pinhole only lets a small amount of those reflections through, allowing an image to form (inverted) on the other side of the hole. This is similar to how lenses work.

It's the same basic process with the eclipse - except the lit objects are the Sun and the Moon, the "lens" is a piece of paper with a hole in it, and the screen is whatever surface you project it onto.

At the end of the day, a pinhole projector is a fun, quick project for you (or your kids) to view the eclipse. If you really want to take advantage and enjoy the full experience, however, here's a guideline to make sure you are ordering a pair of certified solar filter glasses that will let you safely see the eclipse directly.

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How to build a DIY pinhole projector to safely view the eclipse

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Tips, tricks, and hacks for the tech in your life. In case you haven't heard, there's a solar eclipse coming! But while eclipses are cool, unless you're in the path of totality - i.e., the part of the country where the Moon will completely obstruct the Sun - you'll need to take some safety precautions to safely view the eclipse.

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Student Project: How to Make a Pinhole Camera | NASA/JPL Edu

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Learn how to make your very own pinhole camera to safely see a solar eclipse in action.

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NASA Prepares for Aug. 21 Total Solar Eclipse

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For the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will occur across the entire continental United States, and NASA is preparing to share this experience of a lifetime on Aug. 21.

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https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-who-what-where-when-and-howhttps://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-who-what-where-when-and-how

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Presented by Dr Lucie Green Solar scientist

In association with Stargazing Live BBC Two

Presented by Dr Lucie Green Solar scientist

In association with Stargazing Live BBC Two

Witnessing a solar eclipse is a rare and memorable experience. But, without the right precautions, it can also be dangerous.

The Sun's rays are so intense you can feel their warmth from 150 million km away. That's why looking at the Sun directly, even for a few seconds, can seriously damage your eyes. It allows ultraviolet (UV) light to flood in and burn the light-sensitive cells - causing potentially permanent blurry vision and blind spots.

Watching an eclipse with normal sunglasses provides virtually no protection. In fact, they trick your eyes to let in more light, so they can cause even more damage. But there are three easy ways to view an eclipse safely that can be set up in a few minutes.

The safest way to view a solar eclipse is to project it onto a piece of paper. Using a cardboard box, you can make a pinhole projector.

Lucie shows you step-by-step how to make a pinhole projector.

A long cardboard box, a sheet of white paper, some aluminium foil, a craft knife, scissors, a drawing pin, duct tape and glue. If you can't find a long box then try taping two smaller boxes together.

Remember: DO NOT look directly at the Sun without appropriate protection, such as special eclipse glasses. Children should get an adult to help build and use this projector. Take extra care when using sharp tools like craft knifes and scissors.

A bright beam of sunlight will project onto the paper at the far end of the box. This is the Sun's disc. When an eclipse occurs you'll see an image of the Moon's disc sweeping across your projection. The size of the image will be about one hundredth of the length of the box - so the longer the box, the bigger the projected image.

Pinhole viewers are cheap and easy to make. But with a bit more time you can get a much better image by projecting the Sun with binoculars. The advantage of this method is that you can watch the eclipse with others as the projected image is much bigger.

Follow the step-by-step instructions in the video to turn your binoculars into an eclipse projector.

A pair of large binoculars (a telescope works just as well), a tripod (or another sturdy object you can securely fix the binoculars to), a sheet of white paper, a large piece of cardboard, scissors, some duct tape and some large plain paper or a flip-chart.

Binoculars and telescopes concentrate sunlight, so never directly look at the Sun with them, as you will permanently damage your eyes. Don't look directly at the Sun without appropriate protection, such as special eclipse glasses. Keep the binoculars lenses covered until you are ready to use them as this will avoid them getting hot. Children should get an adult to help build and use this projector. Take extra care when using sharp tools like scissors.

As sunlight shines through the binoculars, an image of the Sun will be projected onto your flip-chart. Adjust the distance between the binoculars and the flip-chart until your image is about the size of a small plate. If it's blurry, focus your binoculars until it becomes sharp. While you wait for the eclipse to happen, look out for dark specks and patterns in your projection - these are sunspots.

Watching an eclipse directly is possible - but it's vital to protect your eyes with the correct equipment.

Never look at the Sun unless you are wearing a pair of special eclipse glasses. These cost a few pounds each and will block out more than 99.9% of the Sun's light. Check they bear a CE Kitemark, which means the glasses meet required safety standards.

Test their condition by putting them on as you're looking away from the Sun. You shouldn't be able to see anything. If any light is entering through the glasses, this could mean that they are scratched and won't provide the right protection. When you're satisfied the glasses aren't damaged, turn to look at the Sun. This should be the only thing you can see - a big, orange globe surrounded by a black sky.

Don't look at the Sun through a pair of binoculars or a camera, as they will concentrate the Sun's powerful rays into your eye. If you want to use equipment like this, you need a professional solar filter that fits tightly onto the front lenses.

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How can you watch a solar eclipse safely?

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Presented by Dr Lucie Green Solar scientist In association with Stargazing Live BBC Two Presented by Dr Lucie Green Solar scientist In association with Stargazing Live BBC Two Witnessing a solar eclipse is a rare and memorable experience. But, without the right precautions, it can also be dangerous.

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DIY Pinhole Projector to Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse

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One of the easiest and safe ways to watch a solar eclipse is with a DIY pinhole projector using 2 sheets of cardboard.

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minutes

15 minutes or fewer

On August 21, 2017, between 9 am PST and 3 pm EST ( check your timing here) everyone in North America will be able to see a partial solar eclipse! People in 12 states will be in the path of totality and will have the chance to see a total solar eclipse and observe the Sun's corona! (If you couldn't already tell, we are pretty excited!!)
[For more information on eclipses, you can take a look at our picture guide.]
The 2017 solar eclipse is approaching - but what if you don't have eclipse glasses? No worries, you can appreciate this solar phenomenon using some simple projection devices you can make at home.

Projection devices work by focusing the sun's light onto another surface so that you can safely view the sun indirectly. During a partial solar eclipse, projections of the sun's rays will appear in a crescent shape that changes with the position of the moon! Pinhole projectors are very cool, very old devices that date back thousands of years.

SAFETY NOTE: You should never look directly at the sun without the special type of solar filter found in eclipse glasses. DO NOT use regular sunglasses.

1. The Simple Pinhole Projector

This is probably the easiest and most well-known form of projection. All you need is a piece of card stock (or cardboard) and a pin. Poke a hole in the center of your card stock to make your pinhole projector. Position your projector over a light piece of paper or light sidewalk until you see the small circular projection of the sun appear on the paper. That's it!
Pro tip-cut a hole in the cardboard and cover it with aluminum foil before poking your holes. The foil makes it easier to get a crisp projection, and you can easily poke multiple holes to project a fancy pattern.

2. The Pinhole Hat

You can create a pinhole viewer that goes over your head. We like to call this a pinhole hat. To create one, you need a large box, some white paper, duct tape, and some aluminum foil.

1. Get a very large box. Tape one side closed with dark masking or duct tape. This is the top of your "hat".

2. Identify the two sides of the box that are the farthest apart, and label one side "front" and the other side "back"

3. Fold closed the bottom of the box. Create a hole for your head in the bottom the box towards the back (have an adult do this part). It helps to place the hole as close as you can to a corner.

4. On the side labeled "back" cut a square hole in the corner towards the top, away from where you've cut a hole for your head. Cover that hole with aluminum foil. Secure the foil with dark tape and poke a hole in the center of it with a pin.

5. Cover the inside of the front side of your box with white paper to make a viewing screen.

6. On a sunny day, stand outside with your back to the sun. Put on your pinhole hat so that the aluminum panel faces the sun and tilt and turn until a small circular dot is projected onto the white paper inside. If you need to, use additional dark tape to block any places where light is leaking into the box. You're now ready for the day of the eclipse!

3. Found Object Projector

Any object with small holes will work similar to your pinhole projector. See the sunlight shining between those leaves or the holes in that colander above? During an eclipse, those objects will work like pinhole projectors. Simply look for a place where the sunlight shines through them and watch how the light changes* during the eclipse.

4. The Longer Pinhole Projector

If you have any old shipping tubes, you can create a longer pinhole viewer. Why make a longer pinhole viewer you ask? It creates a larger projection of the sun. You can actually calculate the size that your projection will appear using the dimensions of your projector. To create this viewer you need an old mailing tube, aluminum foil, box cutters (have an adult use this tool), and white paper.

1. For a longer viewer (and larger projection), you may want to tape two mailing tubes end-to-end with dark duct tape.

2. Cut a 1-inch square out of one end of the tube and cover it with aluminum foil.

3. At the other end of the tube, cut a rectangle out of the side of your tube that allows you to see the bottom of the tube.

4. Cover the bottom of the tube with white paper to make your projection platform.

5. Poke a hole in the center of your aluminum foil.

To aim, position the sun behind you. Position your pinhole projector with the hole pointed towards until the projector casts the smallest shadow on the ground. Look through the hole on the side to see the projection of the sun in the bottom.

5. Telescope or Binocular Projection

All you need to create this viewer is a pair of binoculars or a telescope, an old cereal box, and a light surface to project on.

Fully open your cereal box.

Create an outline of the eyepieces of your binoculars in the center of your cardboard and then cut an X through the center of each circle.

Push your eyepiece through the Xs in your cardboard.

To make the cardboard "light-tight", surround the outside of each of the eyepieces with aluminum foil and then tape around them to secure the foil.

Place a piece of white paper on the ground, then point the eyepieces of your binoculars towards the sun so that the rays of the sun pass through the binoculars, casting circles of light onto the paper.

You can use any or all of these to create a great viewing experience for the eclipse with or without glasses. Remember to never look directly at the sun! That includes through pinhole viewers, binoculars, or sunglasses. Instead, always look at the projections created by a pinhole projector.

On August twenty-first, twenty-seventeen,
A solar eclipse in the continental U.S. can be seen.
In the path of totality, or even if you're not in that strip,
You can still experience this awesome eclipse.

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How To See A Solar Eclipse (If You Don't Have Eclipse Glasses)

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15 minutes or fewer On August 21, 2017, between 9 am PST and 3 pm EST ( check your timing here) everyone in North America will be able to see a partial solar eclipse! People in 12 states will be in the path of totality and will have the chance to see a total solar eclipse and observe the Sun's corona!

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Don't use grandma's astronomy tips. Never.

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Don't use grandma's astronomy tips. Never.

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In case you didn't already know, on March the 20th, a partial solar eclipse will take place in Europe. Partial, but sufficient to set foot outdoors between 9.15 and 11.40 am to observe the phenomenon. But not without proper equipment. Here are a few tips and tutorials, secure.

Glasses purchased from an optician, EC standard

Around 2 euros. © DR

Forget it, the country is out of stock. To set a pair of glasses aside before the next partial eclipse in 2026 according to NASA, or total eclipse in 2081, go to your local optician or to a nature store.

The welding helmet

Arc welding in the workshops of ICI Montreuil. © Makery

Heavier, more expensive, also more original: the arc welding helmet. This solution only works if and only if the screen offers a grade 14 filter. Beware, it is not the case for all helmets and glasses.

The small hole in cardboard

An easy item to assemble. © DR

More precisely named pinhole, this technique allows you to observe a projected image of the sun crescent, without risk, and just from bits of cardboard or paper and adhesive. Please note that many other even simpler pinhole techniques exist: the shadow of foliage projected on homogeneous ground allows you to observe a multitude of sun crescents; the holes of a colander, or still a circle formed with your fingers also work.

Binoculars

A simple pair of binoculars creates a rather precise shadow. © DR

Set your binoculars facing the sun, do not look through the binoculars (obviously), but put a sheet of white paper in place of the eyepiece. The projected shadow is more precise than with a pinhole.
Detailed assembly on Instructables
Mylar and AstroSolar filters

With this Mylar filter, you can watch the sun through binoculars. © DR

Found in stores specialising in the observation of the sky, these filters reduce 100,000 times the solar radiation and therefore allow you to observe the star directly through binoculars or a telescope. Please note: it is imperative to check that the filter has no holes or scratches, even tiny, before its use.
These filters cost 25 euros per EC standard stamped sheet, 20 x 30 cm
The best of the worse

Reminder, never use grandma's astronomer apprentice tips:

- double, triple or even quadruple sun glasses
- one or more CDs and/or DVDs
- a glass passed over a candle
- one or more polarizing filters
- film roll negatives
- x-rays
- gold or silver food wrappings
Never.
The CLEA ("comité de liaison enseignants et astronomes" i.e. teachers and astronomers liaison committee) published a comprehensive popularisation document for the eclipse of the 20th of March. Numerous scientific centres like the Montpellier Planetarium are offering events for this eclipse.

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DIY: admire the eclipse without burning your eyes

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In case you didn't already know, on March the 20th, a partial solar eclipse will take place in Europe. Partial, but sufficient to set foot outdoors between 9.15 and 11.40 am to observe the phenomenon. But not without proper equipment. Here are a few tips and tutorials, secure.

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This is probably the most important part of this website. If you ever want to view a solar eclipse-whether it's total, annular, or partial-the first thing you must know is this:
Never view the Sun with the naked eye or by looking through optical devices such as binoculars or telescopes!
This is critical! Why? You may have taken a magnifying glass out into the sun and burned leaves with it. If so, you'll remember that when sunlight is focused onto a small spot with a lens, it gets hot enough to start a fire. So understand this: you have a lens just like that in your eye. If you look at the Sun, your eye's lens will concentrate the Sun's light and focus it onto a very small spot on the back of your eye, on the retina. This literally burns your eye, causing permanent eye damage or blindness. In additional, there are no pain sensors inside your eye-so you won't even know it's happening!

If you are now completely terrified about looking at the Sun, good!-you may keep reading. If not, go back and re-ead the warning above.

During a total solar eclipse, there are a few short moments when it's safe to look directly at the Sun. This is the ONLY time: when the moon completely blocks the face of the Sun. Called totality, it lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. The instant the moon begins to move off the Sun's face, you must go back to using safe viewing techniques.

The above video, "How to Build a Sun Viewer," shows you a safe way to watch eclipses or other solar events by projecting the Sun's image.

How to Make a Pinhole Projector

There are safe ways to view the sun. The simplest requires only a long box (at least six feet long), a piece of aluminum foil, a pin, and a sheet of white paper.

The length of the box is important: the longer the box, the bigger your image of the sun will be. To estimate how big the image will be, multiply the length of the box by 0.01. For example, if your box is six feet (72 inches) long, your solar image will be 72 x 0.01 = 0.72 inches in diameter, or about ¾ inch.

1. Find or make a long box or tube. If you can't find a long tube, you can tape together two or more shorter ones. (Two triangular shipping tubes, taped together, make a good solar viewer.) Cut out the cardboard at one end of each tube and tape those ends together with duct tape, so that light can travel the length of the tube.

2. Cut a one-inch hole in the center of one end of the box. Tape a piece of foil over the hole, then poke a small hole in the foil with a pin.

3. At the other end of the tube, cut a good-sized viewing hole in the side of the box. Put a piece of white paper at the end of the box, right inside the viewing hole. This is the screen where your projected Sun will appear.

To use your viewer, point the pinhole end of the box right at the Sun. To aim it, move it around until you see a round spot of light on the paper at the other end-that's your pinhole image of the Sun! If you have trouble aiming your viewer, look at the shadow of the box on the ground. Move it until the shadow is as small as possible-that is, until it looks like the end of the box, and the sides are not casting a shadow. Do not look through the pinhole at the Sun! Look only at the image on the paper.

Quick and Easy Viewing Techniques

Here are some ways to watch the Sun that are even easier.

Use two pieces of cardboard. In one, cut a one-inch hole, then tape a piece of foil over the hole. Now make a pinhole in the middle of the foil. Use the other piece of cardboard (which should be white for best viewing) as a screen. With the Sun behind you, hold the pinhole cardboard as far from your screen as you can. The farther the pinhole is from the screen, the bigger your image will be.

Use your hands. Hold up both hands with your fingers overlapping at right angles. The holes between your fingers make pinholes.

Use a tree. If you have some shade trees in your location, try looking at the images of the Sun coming through the holes formed by the leaves. Use a piece of white cardboard to capture the images for a great viewing session!

Optical Projection

Pinhole images are pretty dim and small. You can magnify the Sun's image by using a pair of binoculars. You MUST NOT look through the binoculars!

1. Firmly attach the binoculars to a tripod, eyepieces facing down. You can do this with duct tape-what else?

2. Make a Sun shield from a piece of cardboard. Cut a hole for one of the lenses. (You don't need them both.) Then tape the shield to the front of the binoculars with the lens sticking through the hole. Use duct tape to seal any holes that leak light past the cardboard shield.

3. Point the binoculars toward the Sun while holding a piece of white cardboard about one foot beyond the binoculars.

4. It will take a little effort to find the Sun. Once you do, you can focus the binoculars to bring the Sun to a sharp image.
DO NOT put your hand or anything flammable near the eyepiece. The concentrated sunlight exiting there can cause a nasty burn or set something ablaze!
Now you can watch a beautiful, bright, magnified image of the sun as the eclipse proceeds. You will have to adjust the tripod periodically to account for the Earth's rotation. A warning: give your binoculars a cooling break now and then. The eyepiece may become overheated and the lens elements may separate if you leave it pointed at the Sun for too long.

Filters

If you feel you must look directly at the Sun, be absolutely sure that you have the correct filter. Just because a filter makes the Sun seem dim does not mean that it's blocking the dangerous, invisible infrared or ultraviolet radiation that will damage your eyes.

Do NOT use sunglasses, polaroid filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, X-ray film, or photographic neutral-density filters.

Do NOT use this type of telescope filter:

Make sure that the supplier of your eclipse filter is reputable and reliable-a few are listed below. "Eclipse glasses" are inexpensive filters in cardboard frames made especially for eclipse viewing. You can purchase them online, and usually at science museum stores in areas where an eclipse is visible. You can also look at the Sun with a number 14 welder's glass, available at welding supply stores.

If you want to use a filter on a telescope, use only the filter supplied by the manufacturer or by a manufacturer who makes the filter specifically for the instrument you are using. However, if the manufacturer's filter is the type that screws onto the eyepiece, DO NOT USE IT! The manufacturers of some inexpensive telescopes supply a welder's glass filter that screws onto the eyepiece. It may heat up and crack as you are looking through the telescope. A proper solar filter always goes on the front end of the telescope, blocking the sunlight before it enters the optical system.
Thanks to the Orion Telescope Center for the loan of this unsafe filter. Orion does not sell these! They just had one around as a bad example. They are good and knowledgeable people.
By following the instructions above and using a modicum of good sense, you will be able to enjoy solar eclipse after solar eclipse.

Links

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How to View a Solar Eclipse | Exploratorium

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This is probably the most important part of this website. If you ever want to view a solar eclipse-whether it's total, annular, or partial-the first thing you must know is this: Never view the Sun with the naked eye or by looking through optical devices such as binoculars or telescopes!

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With the Great American Eclipse on August 21, 2017, only weeks away, I decided to put together some solar filters. With the high travel costs to get to the eclipse from Southern California, I saved some money through purchasing solar filter sheets instead of the pre-made filters.

To facilitate a fast detachment during totality, compared to a screw on filter, I made some cardboard holders that fit into my Lee filter holder.

Solar Filter Sheet from Thousand Oaks Optical: $15 vs the $150+ Lee solar filter.

Step 1: Get a filter sheet.

Step 2: Measure (100mm square) or trace out the shape for the stiff backing material. I used part of an old box.

Step 3: Cut a hole for the filter, for the size I used the filter holder as a template and a knife to make the opening, cutting on scrap cardboard so as to not damage the table.

Step 4: Cut another cardboard sheet for the other side, I used a thinner material so it fits snugly in the Lee filter holder.

Step 5: Tape together.

Step 6: Enjoy the eclipse!

Here are some examples of solar eclipse photos I've shot:
About the author: Matthew Kuhns is an award-winning California-based landscape photographer and the man behind Skyfire, a mobile app that maps out when amazing light will occur. His images have been seen by over 100 million people in publications such as National Geographic, Microsoft, Sunset, Backpacker, Popular Photo, PDN, Aviation Week, Spaceflight Insider and the Pictureline Blog. His work is highly sought after and is available online and at the G2 Gallery in Venice Beach CA. You can find more of his work on his website. This article was also published here.

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How to Make a Solar Eclipse Lens Filter for $15 Instead of Paying $150+

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With the Great American Eclipse on August 21, 2017, only weeks away, I decided to put together some solar filters. With the high travel costs to get to the eclipse from Southern California, I saved some money through purchasing solar filter sheets instead of the pre-made filters.

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DIY Solar Viewer | Total Solar Eclipse 2017

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Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Anyone within the path of totality can see one of nature's most awe inspiring sights - a total solar eclipse.

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This is probably the most important part of this website. If you ever want to view a solar eclipse-whether it's total, annular, or partial-the first thing you must know is this:
Never view the Sun with the naked eye or by looking through optical devices such as binoculars or telescopes!
This is critical! Why? You may have taken a magnifying glass out into the sun and burned leaves with it. If so, you'll remember that when sunlight is focused onto a small spot with a lens, it gets hot enough to start a fire. So understand this: you have a lens just like that in your eye. If you look at the Sun, your eye's lens will concentrate the Sun's light and focus it onto a very small spot on the back of your eye, on the retina. This literally burns your eye, causing permanent eye damage or blindness. In additional, there are no pain sensors inside your eye-so you won't even know it's happening!

If you are now completely terrified about looking at the Sun, good!-you may keep reading. If not, go back and re-ead the warning above.

During a total solar eclipse, there are a few short moments when it's safe to look directly at the Sun. This is the ONLY time: when the moon completely blocks the face of the Sun. Called totality, it lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. The instant the moon begins to move off the Sun's face, you must go back to using safe viewing techniques.

The above video, "How to Build a Sun Viewer," shows you a safe way to watch eclipses or other solar events by projecting the Sun's image.

How to Make a Pinhole Projector

There are safe ways to view the sun. The simplest requires only a long box (at least six feet long), a piece of aluminum foil, a pin, and a sheet of white paper.

The length of the box is important: the longer the box, the bigger your image of the sun will be. To estimate how big the image will be, multiply the length of the box by 0.01. For example, if your box is six feet (72 inches) long, your solar image will be 72 x 0.01 = 0.72 inches in diameter, or about ¾ inch.

1. Find or make a long box or tube. If you can't find a long tube, you can tape together two or more shorter ones. (Two triangular shipping tubes, taped together, make a good solar viewer.) Cut out the cardboard at one end of each tube and tape those ends together with duct tape, so that light can travel the length of the tube.

2. Cut a one-inch hole in the center of one end of the box. Tape a piece of foil over the hole, then poke a small hole in the foil with a pin.

3. At the other end of the tube, cut a good-sized viewing hole in the side of the box. Put a piece of white paper at the end of the box, right inside the viewing hole. This is the screen where your projected Sun will appear.

To use your viewer, point the pinhole end of the box right at the Sun. To aim it, move it around until you see a round spot of light on the paper at the other end-that's your pinhole image of the Sun! If you have trouble aiming your viewer, look at the shadow of the box on the ground. Move it until the shadow is as small as possible-that is, until it looks like the end of the box, and the sides are not casting a shadow. Do not look through the pinhole at the Sun! Look only at the image on the paper.

Quick and Easy Viewing Techniques

Here are some ways to watch the Sun that are even easier.

Use two pieces of cardboard. In one, cut a one-inch hole, then tape a piece of foil over the hole. Now make a pinhole in the middle of the foil. Use the other piece of cardboard (which should be white for best viewing) as a screen. With the Sun behind you, hold the pinhole cardboard as far from your screen as you can. The farther the pinhole is from the screen, the bigger your image will be.

Use your hands. Hold up both hands with your fingers overlapping at right angles. The holes between your fingers make pinholes.

Use a tree. If you have some shade trees in your location, try looking at the images of the Sun coming through the holes formed by the leaves. Use a piece of white cardboard to capture the images for a great viewing session!

Optical Projection

Pinhole images are pretty dim and small. You can magnify the Sun's image by using a pair of binoculars. You MUST NOT look through the binoculars!

1. Firmly attach the binoculars to a tripod, eyepieces facing down. You can do this with duct tape-what else?

2. Make a Sun shield from a piece of cardboard. Cut a hole for one of the lenses. (You don't need them both.) Then tape the shield to the front of the binoculars with the lens sticking through the hole. Use duct tape to seal any holes that leak light past the cardboard shield.

3. Point the binoculars toward the Sun while holding a piece of white cardboard about one foot beyond the binoculars.

4. It will take a little effort to find the Sun. Once you do, you can focus the binoculars to bring the Sun to a sharp image.
DO NOT put your hand or anything flammable near the eyepiece. The concentrated sunlight exiting there can cause a nasty burn or set something ablaze!
Now you can watch a beautiful, bright, magnified image of the sun as the eclipse proceeds. You will have to adjust the tripod periodically to account for the Earth's rotation. A warning: give your binoculars a cooling break now and then. The eyepiece may become overheated and the lens elements may separate if you leave it pointed at the Sun for too long.

Filters

If you feel you must look directly at the Sun, be absolutely sure that you have the correct filter. Just because a filter makes the Sun seem dim does not mean that it's blocking the dangerous, invisible infrared or ultraviolet radiation that will damage your eyes.

Do NOT use sunglasses, polaroid filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, X-ray film, or photographic neutral-density filters.

Do NOT use this type of telescope filter:

Make sure that the supplier of your eclipse filter is reputable and reliable-a few are listed below. "Eclipse glasses" are inexpensive filters in cardboard frames made especially for eclipse viewing. You can purchase them online, and usually at science museum stores in areas where an eclipse is visible. You can also look at the Sun with a number 14 welder's glass, available at welding supply stores.

If you want to use a filter on a telescope, use only the filter supplied by the manufacturer or by a manufacturer who makes the filter specifically for the instrument you are using. However, if the manufacturer's filter is the type that screws onto the eyepiece, DO NOT USE IT! The manufacturers of some inexpensive telescopes supply a welder's glass filter that screws onto the eyepiece. It may heat up and crack as you are looking through the telescope. A proper solar filter always goes on the front end of the telescope, blocking the sunlight before it enters the optical system.
Thanks to the Orion Telescope Center for the loan of this unsafe filter. Orion does not sell these! They just had one around as a bad example. They are good and knowledgeable people.
By following the instructions above and using a modicum of good sense, you will be able to enjoy solar eclipse after solar eclipse.

Links

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How to View a Solar Eclipse | Exploratorium

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This is probably the most important part of this website. If you ever want to view a solar eclipse-whether it's total, annular, or partial-the first thing you must know is this: Never view the Sun with the naked eye or by looking through optical devices such as binoculars or telescopes!

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DIY Pinhole Projector to Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse

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One of the easiest and safe ways to watch a solar eclipse is with a DIY pinhole projector using 2 sheets of cardboard.

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Here's what you'll need to create your own pair of solar eclipse glasses:

A large piece of poster board or card stock.

A template for your glasses (draw an outline or print out a template).

A solar filter.

A roll of blue painter's tape.

Scissors.

A pen.

If you have a pair of recycled 3D glasses on hand, you're in luck! You can skip the poster board and template for an easy alternative.
Verify the Safety of Your Solar Filter Before Use
While there are a wide range of solar filters available on the market, only a handful of brands have been approved by NASA. If you want to keep yourself and your loved ones safe during the big event, you should always stick to the verified brands.

Another important note to mention: while many household alternatives are being popularized in YouTube videos dedicated to safe solar viewing, many have been proven unsafe. Check and double check your sources before using a household alternative in your project. No matter how dark your favorite pair of sunglasses may be, if they aren't certified to protect your eyes against the sun's UV radiation, your safety will be at risk.

Some alternatives to steer clear from:

Exposed color film

Medical X-ray film

Smoked glass

CD's and floppy discs

Solar Filters You Can Trust

Use high-quality, ISO certified solar films from reputable businesses like Rainbow Symphony. Made from durable, scratch resistant black polymer, this kind of solar film gives the sun a warm yellow/orange hue, and it ensures a safe, crisp and clear view from start to finish. Another great perk: you can use the film to transform your everyday binoculars, cameras, and telescopes into safe solar viewing devices, too!

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5 Steps to Creating Your Own Solar Eclipse Glasses

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Here's what you'll need to create your own pair of solar eclipse glasses: A large piece of poster board or card stock. A template for your glasses (draw an outline or print out a template). A solar filter. A roll of blue painter's tape. Scissors. A pen.

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Solar Eclipse Across America - August 21, 2017

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Here you'll find some of the best eclipse-related educational materials, as judged by members of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force. To avoid overwhelming you with too much information, we've intentionally weighted our listings toward resources that are relatively new, up to date, and/or especially relevant to the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse across America. We've also considered quality, of course; if an educational resource is listed here, we think it's of high quality. If it's not listed here, that doesn't mean it's not of high quality - it just means we can't list everything. If you have, or know of, a resource that you think belongs here, please contact us; we can't guarantee that we'll add the item to our website, but we will consider it.

Eclipse Education Websites

Free Online Course at Coursera

Eclipse Education PDFs

For All Educators:

For Elementary-School & Early-Learner Educators:

"Countdown to the Great American Eclipse" (Charles Fulco, Science & Children, February 2017, NSTA Press)

"Eclipses Across the Curriculum" (Charles Fulco, Science & Children, April/May 2017, NSTA Press)

"Eclipses & Eye Safety" (Charles Fulco, Science & Children, March 2017, NSTA Press)

"Get Ready for the Great American Eclipse!" (Charles Fulco, Science & Children, January 2017, NSTA Press)

"Preparing for the Eclipse: How to Safely Observe the Sun with Young Children" (A. Hurst, J. Plummer, S. Gurton & D. Schatz, Science & Children, March 2017, NSTA Press)

For Middle-School Educators:

For High-School Educators:

Eclipse Education Books

Educational Videos About Solar Eclipses

"2017 Eclipse & the Moon's Orbit" (Ernie Wright, NASA Science Visualization Studio)

"2017 Eclipse: Earth, Moon & Sun" (Ernie Wright, NASA Science Visualization Studio)

"2017 Eclipse Shadow Cones" (Ernie Wright, NASA Science Visualization Studio)

"2017 Total Solar Eclipse in the U.S." (Ernie Wright, NASA Science Visualization Studio)

"America's Coast-to-Coast Total Solar Eclipse" (Kelly Beatty, Sky & Telescope)

"August 21, 2017: Solar Eclipse Across America" (American Astronomical Society)

"August 21, 2017, Total Solar Eclipse as Seen from the Moon" (Michael Zeiler, GreatAmericanEclipse.com)

"En Camino al Eclipse Total de Sol del 2017" (Ana Aceves, Sky & Telescope, en Español)

"Experiencing the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse" (Ana Aceves, Sky & Telescope)

"Eclipse FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions" (Doug Duncan, Fiske Planetarium, University of Colorado)

"Getting to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse" (Ana Aceves, Sky & Telescope)

"Great American Eclipse of 2017" (Fred Espenak at the Northeast Astronomy Forum)

"How to Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse" (American Astronomical Society)

"La Experiencia de Ver un Eclipse Total de Sol" (Ana Aceves, Sky & Telescope, en Español)

"People of Earth" Eclipse Promotional Video (Mark Bender / Eclipse Across America)

"Preparing for the Great American Eclipse" (Doug Duncan, Fiske Planetarium, University of Colorado)

"Total Eclipse, August 21, 2017, Video 1: Where Will You Be Watching?" (Jeffrey Bennett, Big Kid Science & Story Time from Space)

"Total Eclipse, August 21, 2017, Video 2: Understanding Eclipses" (Jeffrey Bennett, Big Kid Science & Story Time from Space)

"Tracing the 2017 Solar Eclipse" (Ernie Wright, NASA Science Visualization Studio)

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Here you'll find some of the best eclipse-related educational materials, as judged by members of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force. To avoid overwhelming you with too much information, we've intentionally weighted our listings toward resources that are relatively new, up to date, and/or especially relevant to the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse across America.

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Eclipses visible in Tracy, California, USA - Aug 21, 2017 Solar Eclipse

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Which upcoming lunar and solar eclipses are visible in Tracy, California, USA and what do they look like?

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Tips, tricks, and hacks for the tech in your life.

In case you haven't heard, there's a solar eclipse coming! But while eclipses are cool, unless you're in the path of totality - i.e., the part of the country where the Moon will completely obstruct the Sun - you'll need to take some safety precautions to safely view the eclipse. (Even then, you'll still need to wear glasses before and after the moments when it's totally blocked.) After all, just because part of the Sun is covered doesn't mean you should look directly at the uncovered part of it. Eclipse glasses are a good way to go, but counterfeit models are making rounds on sites like Amazon. Plus, even if you buy certified ones, they might not make it to you in time.

Fortunately, there's another option: a pinhole projector. Putting together a pinhole projector is about as easy as it gets, and while it doesn't quite have the same "wow factor" as looking directly at the partially blocked Sun, it'll still let you safely view what's happening without potentially going blind.

Supplies

There are many ways to make a pinhole projector, but you really just need two things: something with a pinhole in it, and something to project the image on.

If you're in a rush or on a budget, just take two stiff pieces of paper (paper plates or card stock tend to work well, but even regular printer paper should do the job) and poke a pinhole in one with a pin. If you're really in a pinch, you can even make a pinhole projector by just curling your fingers to only let a pinprick of light through.

How to use it

Now that you've got your piece of paper with a pinhole, hold it up and let the sunlight shine through it. Then, using your second piece of paper (or a wall) as a screen, you'll be able to see an image of the partially obscured Sun, all without burning out your retinas.

As a safety note: you want to look at the projection created by the pinhole on the wall, so keep your back to the Sun, and look at the image created by the light shining through. D o not look at the Sun directly through the pinhole.

Bonus round: the physics of pinhole projectors

Now that you've got your eclipse-viewing plans sorted out, here's how this device works. Pinhole projectors take advantage of a bit of optical physics known as the camera obscura effect.

Generally, light travels in straight lines. So when an object is illuminated, light will continue to bounce off it in a straight line. The pinhole only lets a small amount of those reflections through, allowing an image to form (inverted) on the other side of the hole. This is similar to how lenses work.

It's the same basic process with the eclipse - except the lit objects are the Sun and the Moon, the "lens" is a piece of paper with a hole in it, and the screen is whatever surface you project it onto.

At the end of the day, a pinhole projector is a fun, quick project for you (or your kids) to view the eclipse. If you really want to take advantage and enjoy the full experience, however, here's a guideline to make sure you are ordering a pair of certified solar filter glasses that will let you safely see the eclipse directly.

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How to build a DIY pinhole projector to safely view the eclipse

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Tips, tricks, and hacks for the tech in your life. In case you haven't heard, there's a solar eclipse coming! But while eclipses are cool, unless you're in the path of totality - i.e., the part of the country where the Moon will completely obstruct the Sun - you'll need to take some safety precautions to safely view the eclipse.

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national aeronautics and space administration

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Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Anyone within the path of totality can see one of nature's most awe inspiring sights - a total solar eclipse.

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Press Release, March 22, 2024: "American Astronomical Society Warns of Counterfeit & Fake Eclipse Glasses"
Short Answer

We used to say that you should look for evidence that they comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard for filters for direct viewing of the Sun. But then we discovered that some eclipse glasses and other solar viewers are labeled as ISO-compliant when in fact they have not been properly tested and shown to be safe. So we pivoted to suggest that you make sure you get (or got) your eclipse viewers from one of the suppliers listed on our Suppliers of Safe Solar Viewers & Filters page.

Long Answer

The #1 rule for observing a solar eclipse, or for looking directly at the Sun at any other time, is safety first.

As noted on our main safety page, with one exception it is to look directly at the Sun without a special-purpose safe solar filter. That exception is during totality, when the Moon completely blocks the dazzlingly bright face of the Sun. This happens within the narrow path of the Moon's umbra (dark inner shadow) during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse. During the North American solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, the roughly 115-mile-wide path of totality stretches from Mexico to Texas to Maine to eastern Canada - and at any location within that path totality lasts at most about 4½ minutes. Before and after totality, and at times outside the path of totality, you use a special-purpose safe solar filter when looking directly at the Sun.

"Special-purpose" means designed exclusively for looking directly at the everyday Sun. Filters for direct viewing of the Sun are typically sold in the form of wearable "eclipse glasses" or as solar viewing cards (typically the size of 3-by-5-inch index cards) that you hold in your hand. What makes them special is that they reduce sunlight to safe levels so that you don't injure your eyes. Our daytime star shines about a half million times brighter than the full Moon in visible light and emits potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation too. Looking directly at the Sun through anything that isn't specially made to deal with all that visible light and invisible radiation is a recipe for serious eye injury, perhaps even blindness. Note that special-purpose solar filters are at least 1,000 times darker than ordinary sunglasses!

What to Look For

How do you know if your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers are truly safe? You need to know that they meet the ISO 12312-2 (sometimes written as ISO 12312-2:2015) international safety standard. Filters that are ISO 12312-2 compliant not only reduce visible sunlight to safe and comfortable levels but also block all but a tiny fraction of solar UV and IR radiation.

Unfortunately, you can't check whether a filter meets the ISO standard yourself - doing so requires a specialized and expensive piece of laboratory equipment called a spectrophotometer that shines intense UV, visible, and IR light through the filter and measures how much gets through at each wavelength. Solar filter manufacturers send their products to specialized labs that are accredited to perform the tests necessary to verify compliance with the ISO 12312-2 safety specifications. Once they have the paperwork that documents their products as ISO-compliant, they can legitimately claim to meet the standard on their products and packaging.

Even more unfortunately, unscrupulous vendors can grab the ISO logo off the internet and put it on their products and packaging even if their eclipse glasses or viewers haven't been properly tested. This means that just seeing the ISO logo or a label claiming ISO 12312-2 compliance isn't good enough. You need to know that the product comes from a reputable manufacturer or one of their authorized dealers. (In fact, the International Organization for Standardization prohibits the use of its logo on products or packaging, but almost everybody ignores that fact, and there's no mechanism to enforce the prohibition anyway.)

The AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force has been working diligently to compile a list of such vendors, now posted on our Suppliers of Safe Solar Viewers & Filters page. We've checked companies' lab-test reports to make sure they're complete and that they come from properly accredited testing facilities, and we've personally examined many companies' products. We've asked manufacturers, importers, and distributors to identify their authorized resellers, and we've asked dealers to identify the source of the products they're selling. Only when everything checks out do we add a vendor to our list.

If we don't list a supplier, that doesn't mean their products are unsafe - there are just too many brick-and-mortar and online sources of solar viewers and filters for us to vet them all. But they all get their products from a relatively small number of manufacturers, and we list as many as we can that have convinced us their products are safe.

How can you tell if your solar viewer is not safe? You shouldn't be able to see anything through a safe solar filter except the Sun itself or something comparably bright, such as the Sun reflected in a mirror, a sunglint off shiny metal, the hot filament of an incandescent light bulb, a bright halogen light bulb, a bright-white LED bulb (including the flashlight on your smartphone), a bare compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb, or an arc-welding torch. All such sources (except perhaps the welding torch) should appear quite dim through a solar viewer. If you can see shaded lamps or other common household light fixtures (not bare bulbs) of more ordinary brightness through your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer, and you're not sure the product came from a reputable vendor, don't use it. Safe solar filters produce a view of the Sun that is comfortably bright (like the full Moon) and in focus. If you glance at the Sun through your solar filter and find it uncomfortably bright, don't use it. You should contact the seller and demand a refund or credit for return of the product, then obtain a replacement from one of the sources on our Suppliers of Safe Solar Viewers & Filters page. (For more about this, see the AAS press release linked at the top of this page.)

Remember that a genuinely safe solar viewer does more than reduce the Sun's visible light to a comfortable brightness level. It also blocks potentially harmful UV and IR radiation. The only way to tell whether your viewer does that is to be certain that it meets the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, and the only way to know that is to be certain that it came from a reputable vendor.

What if you received eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer from a relative, friend, neighbor, or acquaintance? If that person is an amateur or professional astronomer - and astronomers have been handing out eclipse viewers like Halloween candy lately - they're probably ISO-compliant, because astronomers usually get their solar filters from sources they know and trust (in other words, from the ones listed on our suppliers page). Ditto for professional astronomical organizations (including college and university physics and astronomy departments) and amateur-astronomy clubs.

If you bought or were given eclipse viewers at a science museum or planetarium, or at an astronomy trade show, again you're almost certainly in possession of ISO-compliant filters. As long as you can trace your filters to a reputable vendor or other reliable source, you should have nothing to worry about. What you absolutely should not do is search for eclipse glasses on the internet and buy whatever pops up in the ads or search results. Make sure any vendor you buy from is either on our list of suppliers or gets their products from another company that's on the list.

In addition to making sure your eclipse shades or handheld viewers come from a reputable source, make sure they're in good condition:

If the filters are torn, scratched, or punctured, discard them.

If the filters are coming loose from their cardboard or plastic frames, discard them.

Note: If your eclipse glasses or viewers are compliant with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard adopted in 2015, you may look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun through them for as long as you wish. Furthermore, if the filters aren't scratched, punctured, torn, or coming loose from their frames, you may reuse them indefinitely. Some glasses/viewers - even new ones - are printed with warnings stating that you shouldn't look through them for more than 3 minutes at a time and that you should discard them if they are more than 3 years old. Such warnings do not apply to eclipse viewers certified to meet the ISO 12312-2:2015 standard and may be ignored. Then again, why would you stare at the Sun for more than 3 minutes? A partial eclipse progresses so slowly that there's no point in looking at it for more than a few seconds every few minutes.

What to Avoid

Ordinary sunglasses (or multiple pairs of sunglasses), neutral density or polarizing filters (such as those made for camera lenses), smoked glass, photographic or X-ray film (unexposed, exposed, or developed), "space blankets," potato-chip bags, DVDs, and any other materials you may have heard about for solar viewing are safe. In some cases these homemade filters may seem like they dim the Sun to a comfortable level, but that doesn't mean they do so across the whole electromagnetic spectrum to which our eyes are sensitive. While you're enjoying a "comfortable" view of the "dim" Sun, solar infrared radiation could be cooking your retinas. And you wouldn't know till later, because your retinas don't have pain receptors. Only after the eclipse, when you notice blind spots or other vision problems, would you realize you'd made a catastrophic mistake.

What about welding filters? The only ones that are safe for direct viewing of the Sun with your eyes are those of Shade 12 or higher. These are much darker than the filters used for most kinds of welding. If you have an old welder's helmet around the house and are thinking of using it to view the Sun, make sure you know the filter's shade number. If it's less than 12 (and it probably is), don't even think about using it to look at the Sun. Many people find the Sun too bright even in a Shade 12 filter, and some find the Sun too dim in a Shade 15 filter - Shade 13 and 14 filters are the best ones for solar viewing. But welding filters generally give a sickly green image of the Sun, whereas special-purpose solar viewers give a white, yellow, or orange image, which is much more pleasing and natural. If you really want to get a welding filter, we recommend that you buy it from a welding supply company; we've heard reports of people ordering "Shade 14" welding goggles from random online stores and receiving much lighter filters than they were promised. Our Suppliers of Safe Solar Viewers & Filters page doesn't list sources of welder's filters, only suppliers of filters made exclusively for viewing the Sun. But we do link to a couple of sources of Shade 14 welder's filters from our main safety page.

Note that on this page we're talking about filters made for direct viewing of the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun with your eyes. Eclipse glasses and handheld viewers should be used when looking through telescopes, binoculars, camera lenses, or other optical devices. For tips on using solar filters with optics, see Solar Filters for Optics: Telescopes, Binoculars & Cameras. To find telescopes and binoculars specially made for observing the Sun, see our Telescopes & Binoculars page (look for the Special-Purpose Solar Binoculars & Telescopes section).

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How Can You Tell If Your Eclipse Glasses or Handheld Solar Viewers Are Safe?

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Press Release, March 22, 2024: "American Astronomical Society Warns of Counterfeit & Fake Eclipse Glasses"

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Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Anyone within the path of totality can see one of nature’s most awe inspiring sights - a total solar eclipse. This path, where the moon will completely cover the sun and the sun’s tenuous atmosphere - the corona - can be seen, will stretch from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. Observers outside this path will still see a partial solar eclipse where the moon covers part of the sun’s disk. NASA created this website to provide a guide to this amazing event. Here you will find activities, events, broadcasts, and resources from NASA and our partners across the nation.