With a shortage of solar eclipse glasses, you may be worried about safe ways to follow Monday's big event. However, according to This video is from NASAThere are plenty of ways to indirectly view the Moon's progress across the Sun without harming your eyes.
Before considering them, remember that looking directly at the Sun during a partial solar eclipse can cause permanent eye damage or blindness. This can happen without the victim feeling any pain because the retina lacks pain receptors. Don't wear sunglasses – even three pairs on top of each other. Solar eclipse glasses block 99% of visible, infrared and UV light. No sunglasses.
Using a safe method to view the eclipse is critical, so if you don't have eclipse glasses, try one of these simple and safe alternatives:
1. DIY Pinhole Viewer
One of the most popular ways to view a solar eclipse is using a pinhole viewer. You can easily make one at home with a few simple ingredients. All you need is a cardboard box, scissors, aluminum foil, tape and a pin or needle.
First, cut a square hole in one end of the box. Cover the hole with aluminum foil and then use it to make a small hole in the center of the foil. Then, tape a piece of white paper to the inside of the box opposite the hole. To use the viewer, stand facing away from the sun and place the box over your head, with the aperture facing the sun. You will see a small picture of the sun on the paper inside the box. of NASA How to Make a Box Pinhole Projector Video on YouTube Explains this method in depth.
2. Use your hands and fingers
Another simple way to view the eclipse is to use your hands and fingers. Stand with your back to the sun and hold your hands in front of you. Cross your fingers over each other and make small spaces between them. The spaces between your fingers project a grid of tiny images of the Sun that show the crescent shape of the Sun during an eclipse.
3. Find a strainer, spaghetti spoon, or hole-punch
If you have a strainer or a piece of spaghetti in your kitchen, you can make a very simple pinhole viewer. Hold the colander up to the sun and it will display dozens of images of the crescent sun below it. Well-defined holes are what form the pattern in the ground, on surfaces like white paper or cardboard, or on each other. A perforated paper towel works well.
4. Stand near a tree
Tree leaves can also be used to create a natural pinhole viewer. Stand under a tree—one with leaves—and look at the ground. The small spaces between the leaves reveal the shape of small figures of the sun on the ground. You can use a piece of paper or cardboard to catch them.
If you find last-minute solar eclipse glasses, check that they're undamaged and ISO-certified. Ideally, the company or brand printed on them should belong to the American Astronomical Society Verified list of suppliers and resellersNASA recommends.
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Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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