Looking forward to observing the total solar eclipse in 2024? Barring a rainy, cloudy day, it should be visible to all of North America on April 8, 2024.
Viewing a solar eclipse, particularly a total solar eclipse where the moon completely covers the face of the sun, is an amazing but uncommon experience. During that brief period known as totality, the Earth goes dark as night, and you may be able to see Baily’s Beads, the diamond ring effect, solar spots, and more.
Amazing as it can be, however, it’s important to be aware of the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse with the naked eye. Gazing at an eclipse even for just a few seconds can cause irreparable damage to your retinas and can even result in blindness.
Fortunately, there are some basic technologies that you can employ to safely observe a solar eclipse. When viewing a solar eclipse, it’s important to not sacrifice your safety for the view.
Solar Filter Technology
This is a simple technology that utilizes a special black polymer and carbon particles (or, conversely, a silver mylar material) to effectively block 99.9 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet and infrared light. This technology is available in a variety of forms, including:
Solar Eclipse Glasses
Solar eclipse glasses with an American Astronomical Society 12312-2 ISO rating are specifically designed to filter out the intense radiation from a solar eclipse.
Sunglasses, even high-quality ones, are simply insufficient protection against the sun’s harmful rays. Solar eclipse glasses, on the other hand, are much darker and hundreds of times more powerful than ordinary sunglasses. The technology is also inexpensive, often less than $5 per pair.
Solar Hand Held Viewers
Similar to solar eclipse glasses, solar viewers utilize the same filtering technology but come in a cardboard, rectangular form designed to be held in front of your eyes while viewing a solar eclipse.
Technology for Indirect Viewing of a Solar Eclipse
If you forget to pick up any of the above solar filtering options but don’t want to miss out on the action, you can use a simple pinhole projection technology to indirectly view the eclipse. You can find simple directions to make a pinhole projector online. Basically, you just need a box, duct tape, a piece of aluminum foil, and white paper, the latter to create a homemade screen for viewing. Cereal boxes or shoe boxes are the perfect size, so now might be a great time to buy your favorite cereal–or a new pair of shoes. This simple technology focuses the sun’s light as it passes through the pinhole and projects it onto the white paper “screen.”
Enjoy the Total Solar Eclipse, but SAFELY!
For many, the opportunity to view a total solar eclipse may come only once or twice in a lifetime. And as noted earlier, it’s too amazing an experience to miss out on. Mark your calendar for April 8, 2024. Just be sure to utilize one of these readily available solar filtering technologies or make your own pinhole projector for a safe, enjoyable experience.
