Don’t have eclipse glasses? How to make a DIY solar viewer
If you don’t have solar glasses yet to watch the total eclipse happening April 8, not to worry. The good folks at NASA have an easy way you can view the eclipse by making a box pinhole projector with common items found around your home — no degree in rocket science required.
A rare total solar eclipse Monday is set to chart a 115-mile-wide path over portions of Mexico, the United States and Canada. Millions of people are expected to flock toward the path of totality where they can catch a glimpse of this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
Experts caution those watching the eclipse to be careful: it’s never safe to look directly at the sun. Doing so can permanently damage your vision. Except
for a brief moment during the totality when the moon completely blocks out the sun’s rays, you should wear specialized eye protection when viewing an eclipse.
To safeguard your vision, here’s how to make a box pinhole projector with common household items.
Step 1 to create a box pinhole projector, gather these items
To make a box pinhole project, gather up the following items:
A cardboard box (you can use a cereal
● box, shoe box, or a box from Amazon)
Scissors
●
Aluminum foil
●
A pencil
●
A push pin
●
Tape
●
A white sheet of paper (make sure
● it’s large enough to cover one end of the box)
Step 2, making the pinhole projector
Follow these instructions for creating your box pinhole projector.
1. Using a pencil, trace one end of the box onto the white sheet of paper. Next, cut out the shape. The paper shape you cut out should be able to fit snugly inside the box.
2. Next, cut two square holes on the opposite end of the box — one on the right side and the other on the left. If you’re using a cereal box, tape up the middle so your box doesn’t fall apart.
3. Cover one of the square holes completely with aluminum foil. Use tape to keep the foil in place.
4. Take a push pin and punch a small hole carefully in the center of the aluminum foil. This is the hole sunlight will enter. The larger square hole you made is where you’ll look into the box.
5. Congrats, you’re done!
Step 3, using your pinhole projector to look at a solar eclipse
To use your box pinhole projector, stand with your back to the sun, then hold the large square hole up to your eye and move the box around until sunlight enters the tiny hole in the aluminum foil. In a moment, you should see the sun projected onto the white paper inside the box. You can find more ways to view the solar eclipse courtesy of NASA or by visiting exploratorium.edu/ eclipse/how-to-view-eclipse.
John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on X at @JTuftsReports.