A total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, but won't occur for another 20 years, according to NASA.
You may not want to miss out, but staring at the sun for even just a few seconds can cause blindness or permanent damage to your eyes.
People can safely gaze at a solar eclipse only when it is completely covered by the moon. However, most of the sun is covered by the moon, and even if only a small amount of light shines through, it is more than enough to cause damage to your vision.
And keep in mind that unless you have a solar filter, viewing the eclipse through a camera lens or binoculars is no safer than seeing it with your own eyes.
“Viewing bright parts of the Sun through camera lenses, binoculars, or telescopes without a dedicated solar filter in front of the optics can quickly cause severe eye damage,” NASA says on its website. ” he said.
Fortunately, there is a way to safely view the eclipse using special eclipse glasses, but NASA said it does not approve any particular brand of solar observation equipment. They warned people that regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the eclipse “no matter how dark it is.”
“A safe solar viewer must be thousands of times dimmer and comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard,” NASA said.
They urged people to check their eclipse glasses and handheld viewers for tears, scratches or signs of damage. The American Astronomical Society issued a press release warning people to be wary of counterfeit glasses and provided a list of brands that meet safety requirements.
Nowhere on their website does NASA say you should try to make your own solar glasses.
Alternatively, if people don't have access to eclipse specifications, they can use “indirect observation methods that don't involve looking directly at the Sun,” NASA said. They encouraged people to build pinhole projectors with small openings that projected images of the sun onto nearby surfaces.
“Don't look at the sun through a pinhole!” NASA warned.
NASA said people can build their own pinhole projectors using common household items.
Live Science shared a step-by-step how-to guide on how to create a homemade solar eclipse viewer.
your materials
Prepare a cardboard box like a shoebox, white paper, tape, pins, aluminum foil, a cutter, etc.
make a hole
Use a cutter to cut a 1-inch hole on one side near the top of the shoe box.
grab the foil
Take some aluminum foil and tape it to the hole you made in the cardboard box.
make a hole with a punch
Grab a pin and make a hole in the center of the foil.
make a paper screen
Tape a piece of white paper to the inside of the box, directly opposite the hole. This is a DIY projection screen that allows you to see the sun shining through the hole.
Create a peephole
Do not look at the sun through a pinhole as this can damage your eyes. Instead, you can cut a hole next to a piece of white paper and watch the eclipse on a homemade screen.
clock
You can test your homebrew viewer by taking it outside during the day. Turn your back to the sun so that your shadow overlaps with the viewer.
Next, look for a halo of light on the white paper through the hole you made in the side of the box.
During a solar eclipse, a shadow can be seen passing over the point of light.