How to view the eclipse without glasses

Most of us know to never look directly at the sun. Yet, when a solar eclipse occurs, all eyes want to be on the sun. With the 2024 total solar eclipse traveling across the United States on April 8, many of us want to know how to experience this incredible phenomenon without risking our (or our children’s) vision.

We asked experts at science museums and institutions across the country for their eclipse-viewing tips.

First, even if you have a pair of eclipse glasses, you still need to exercise caution.

“Even when wearing eclipse glasses, you shouldn’t look at the sun for longer than three minutes at a time,” says Sommer Murphy, an early learner specialist at Little Rock’s Museum of Discovery.

Also, experts suggest that you opt for eclipse glasses approved by NASA and/or the American Astronomical Society. eclipse glasses for your phone’s camera.)

However, getting a great shot isn’t the only reason to use a solar filter. According to NASA, attempting to photograph or record the solar eclipse can potentially cause internal damage to your phone because it magnifies the light.

Filters are also available for telescopes and binoculars as well. These are a must for anyone who wants to observe the sun and moon up close without causing damage to their optical instruments or eyes.

But what about those who don’t have glasses? Dan Schneiderman, eclipse partnerships coordinator at the Rochester Museum and Science Center in New York, says just about “anything with a hole that allows you to observe the shadow” — even a Ritz cracker! — can be used to project the eclipse onto surfaces so you can observe its progress. The most common suggestion from our experts is to use a colander to project images of the eclipse onto the ground.

“With your back to the sun, you can hold the colander toward the ground so that the sunlight passes through the holes,” explains Don Riefler, science programs manager at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana. “Each hole will show the sun’s disc in miniature on the ground, including the moon’s shadow, so you can track how close to totality you are.”