“The safest and most inexpensive method of viewing an eclipse is by projection, in which a pinhole or small opening is used to cast the image of the sun on a screen placed a half-meter or more beyond the opening,” NASA says, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Is always safe to view without eclipse glasses Looking directly at the sun without eye protection can cause serious eye damage or blindness. Viewing a projection of the eclipse - which this contraption will help you do - is recommended by NASA. If you look inside the tube at the large rectangle, “you should see a bright, white image of the sun suddenly appear at the very end of the tube,” Fulco said.
It's free - and pretty easy - to find or even make a device that will. But if you didn't get a pair, you can still watch Monday's solar eclipse. Then, cut a large rectangle at the other end of the tube, which will serve as a viewing window.ĭuring the eclipse, put the tube over your shoulder and have the small hole pointed to the sun. Eclipse glasses are sold out just about everywhere.
How to protect your eyes during solar eclipse If you are going to watch the solar eclipse, it’s best to use a pair of solar filter glasses to ensure that you don’t damage your eyes and/or give yourself permanent eye damage. Using the awl, punch a smaller hole into that foil. Yes, even looking at eclipse without solar eclipse viewer can cause permanent eye damage. Using the hobby knife, you need to make a small hole at the end of the tube then tape a piece of foil over the hole you created. we are unfortunately unable to accept returns of the eclipse glasses for any reason. To create a solar viewer, you’ll need a shipping tube, tinfoil, a hobby knife, an awl, tape and a marker. Though the eclipse glasses are an extremely cost-effective means of safely viewing the eclipse, they are a precision scientific instrument. NASA Solar Eclipse Educator Charles Fulco visited TIME for Kids earlier this month to explain how to create a solar viewer with a few household materials. NEXT: Watch the Whole Total Solar Eclipse in 4 Minutes Make your own eclipse viewer There are still safe ways to view the eclipse without special glasses: However, glasses or another form of protection must be used while watching the partial eclipse, in which the sun is not fully blocked, which will be visible in all of North America.īut if you weren’t able to get eclipse glasses, after some retailers across the country sold out and others have recalled them after discovering they were faulty, don’t fret. Those looking at the eclipse within the path of totality - where the moon will completely block the sun along a path spanning from Oregon to South Carolina - can view the eclipse without protection during the two minutes or so that the sun is completely out of view.