On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. This is when the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks out its light. For a few minutes, day will turn into night!
It’s going to be really cool—but you have to be careful not to look directly at the sun during an eclipse because it can damage your eyes. The good news is that there’s an easy way to make a solar eclipse viewer out of a cereal box so that you can safely watch the event.
- Cover one end of a cereal box with aluminum foil, leaving a 1-2 inch border
- Tape the foil in place
- Cut a small hole (about 1/2 inch) in the center of the aluminum foil
- Turn the box so that the hole is facing towards the sun
- Look through the hole at the sun–you should see a small circle of light
- Move the box around until the circle of light is as small as possible
- When it is very small, you are viewing a solar eclipse!
Credit: www.youtube.com
How Do You Make a Solar Eclipse Viewer?
Assuming you would like detailed instructions on how to make a solar eclipse viewer:
What You’ll Need:
-Two pieces of cardboard that are at least 8.5″ by 11″
-Tape
-Scissors or exacto knife
-Aluminum foil
-Pencil
-Paperclip or thumbtack
Instructions:
1.Take one piece of cardboard and cut a rectangle out of the center of it. The dimensions of the rectangle should be about 2″ by 3″. Make sure that the long sides of the rectangle are parallel to the long sides of the piece of cardboard.
2.Cut another, smaller, rectangle out of the center of your other piece of cardboard. This second rectangle should be about 1″ by 1.5″. Again, make sure its long sides are parallel to the long sides of the piece of cardboard it came from.
3.Tape your two rectangles together so that they form a tube. The small rectangle should be taped over one endof the large rectangle, leaving an opening atthe other endof the tube. 4.Turn your tube so that the open end is pointing downwards, then place aluminum foil over this end, using tape to secure it in place if necessary.
/li> 5.-Use your pencil to poke a tiny hole in thee middleof your aluminum foil./li> 6.-Attach your paperclip or thumbtack to one sideof your tube opposite thee aluminum foildisk./li> 7.-Look through thee small opening atthe bottomof your eclipse viewer towards thee sun./li> 8.-While looking through this opening, holdeclipse viewer up tothesun so that sunlight shines throughthe pinholeand onto thee back wall offormer cereal boxor index cardinside tube./li> 9.-You may needto experiment with how closethe Sunis totube before an imageofforme will appearonback wall insideviewer.
How Do You Make a Sunspot Viewer With a Cereal Box?
A sunspot viewer is a low-tech device used to safely view the Sun. It can be made at home with a few simple materials, like a cereal box.
Here’s how to make a sunspot viewer with a cereal box:
1. Cut out one end of the cereal box so that it’s open. Cover this opening with foil, shiny side out. Tape the foil in place.
2. Cut a small hole in the center of the other end of the cereal box.
3. Look through the hole at the Sun. The foil will act as a filter and you should be able to see sunspots on the surface of the Sun!
How Do You Make a Solar Eclipse With Cardboard?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun, blocking its light from reaching Earth. To make a model of this, you will need two round pieces of cardboard, a pen or pencil, scissors, and something to represent the sun (such as a yellow crayon).
1. Cut one of the cardboard circles in half.
This will be the moon.
2. On the other cardboard circle, use your pen or pencil to trace a small circle in the center. This will be the sun.
3. Place the half-circle piece of cardboard over top of the sun-traced circle so that it covers it completely (this is why it’s important for the moon to be slightly smaller than the sun).
4. Hold your eclipsed model up to a light source such as a lamp or window, and watch as the sunlight is blocked out just like during a real eclipse!
Can I Make Eclipse Glasses at Home?
Assuming you would like a blog post discussing whether or not one can make eclipse glasses at home:
Yes, it is possible to make eclipse glasses at home! However, it is important to note that not just any type of material will work.
The only way to safely watch the solar eclipse is by using special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or handheld solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses are not safe for looking directly at the Sun.
Here are some specific instructions for making your own eclipse glasses at home:
You will need:
– Two sheets of stiff white paper
– Scissors
– Tape
– Aluminum foil
– Pencil
Instructions:
1. Cut out a circle from each piece of paper using scissors. The circles should be large enough to fit over your eyes comfortably.
2. Place one sheet of aluminum foil over one of the circles and trace around it with a pencil. Then, cut out the circle of aluminum foil. Repeat this step with the other sheet of paper and aluminum foil.
3. Tape the two pieces of aluminum foil (shiny side facing out) to the corresponding white paper circles. Make sure that the silver side faces outwards so that no light can shine through! 4. Put your new DIY eclipse glasses on and enjoy the show!
Make a solar eclipse viewer at home with a cereal box
Eclipse Viewer Box
Eclipse Viewer Box
As the name suggests, an eclipse viewer box is a simple cardboard or paper box with one or more viewing holes cut out of it. The idea is that you can stand or sit inside the box, with your head poking through one of the holes, and watch the eclipse safely.
There are a few different designs for eclipse viewer boxes, but they all work on the same principle. The most important thing is to make sure that the box is big enough for you to comfortably fit your head inside, without obscuring your view. You also want to make sure that there are no gaps around the sides of the viewing holes, through which sunlight could potentially leak in and damage your eyes.
If you’re feeling extra crafty, you can decorate your eclipse viewer box however you like! But even a plain old cardboard box will do the trick just fine.
So there you have it: everything you need to know about eclipse viewer boxes!
Make sure to grab one before August 21st so that you can enjoy the Great American Eclipse in all its glory – safely!
How to Make Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun, blocking its light. It’s a spectacular event that can be seen with the naked eye, but there are also some safety considerations to keep in mind. Here’s everything you need to know about how to make solar eclipse viewing safe and fun.
The first thing to know is that looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can damage your eyes. It’s important to use proper eye protection or view the eclipse indirectly. One way to do this is by projecting an image of the sun onto a piece of paper using a telescope or binoculars.
Alternatively, you can purchase special eclipse glasses that filter out the harmful rays of the sun.
If you’re planning on watching the eclipse with others, it’s important to have a plan in place so everyone knows what they’re doing and where they should be positioned. It’s also a good idea to have some snacks and drinks on hand, as staring at the sky for long periods of time can be tiring!
When it comes time for totality (when the moon completely covers the sun), don’t forget to take some pictures! This is one event that you’ll want to remember forever.
Sunspot Viewer Shoebox
A sunspot is a dark, cool spot on the Sun’s surface that appears when strong magnetic fields emerge from the Sun’s interior and disrupt its convective flow. Sunspots usually appear in pairs or groups and typically last for about two to four weeks.
The number of sunspots visible on the Sun’s surface varies over time, with a minimum of just a few spots during what is known as the solar minimum (a period of low solar activity) and a maximum of several thousand spots during the solar maximum (a period of high solar activity).
Sunspots are not only interesting to look at, but they also tell us a lot about our star. For example, by tracking the number of sunspots over time, scientists can get an indication of how active the Sun is. And by studying the light coming from sunspots, we can learn about the magnetic fields that cause them.
One way to view sunspots is with a simple telescope and special filter (called a hydrogen-alpha filter) that allows you to see the red glow of hydrogen gas surrounding sunspots. But if you don’t have access to a telescope, there’s another way to spot them: using something called a shoebox viewer.
A shoebox viewer is basically just a cardboard box with some openings cut out so you can look through it at different angles.
Inside the box, you’ll need to put two mirrors at 45-degree angles (one facing up and one facing down) and tape them in place. You’ll also need to tape a piece of white paper or cloth to the inside bottom of the box so it reflects light up into your eyes. Finally, cut out a small square hole in one side of the box near the top so you can look inside without taking off the lid.
Once your shoebox viewer is assembled, go outside on a sunny day and hold it up so sunlight shines through the hole and onto the mirrors inside. Look into the box and move it around until you see reflections of sunlight bouncing off both mirrors and onto your viewing surface (the white paper or cloth).
What is a Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, casting a shadow on the earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the sun and moon are in alignment. The type of eclipse depends on how the sun, moon, and earth line up.
There are four types of solar eclipses: total, partial, annular, and hybrid.
Total eclipses are rare because they can only occur when the sun is perfectly aligned with the moon. During a total eclipse, the entire disk of the sun is covered by the moon.
Partial eclipses are much more common than total eclipses. They occur when the sun and moon are not quite in line with each other. During a partial eclipse, only part of the sun’s disk is covered by the moon.
Annular eclipses occur when the sun and moon are in line with each other but at different distances from Earth. This causes the Moon to appear slightly smaller than usual as it crosses in front of Sun’s disk . As a result ,a bright ring (or “annulus”) of sunlight encircles Moon .
A typical annular eclipse lasts for about 4 minutes . A hybrid eclipse is a special type of solar eclipse that can look like either an annular or total eclipse depending on where you observe it from on Earth . It happens when part of an annulus appears around Moon’s edge while another part looks like totality
Solar eclipses provide one of nature’s most spectacular shows!
What is an Eclipse
An eclipse is a natural event that occurs when an astronomical object such as the moon or sun moves into the shadow of another celestial body. This can happen only when the objects are exactly lined up, with the larger object in front of the smaller one.
There are two types of eclipses: solar and lunar.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun, casting a shadow on Earth. A lunar eclipse happens when Earth moves between the sun and moon, blocking sunlight from reaching the moon and causing it to appear dark in our sky.
Eclipses have been happening for billions of years, and they will continue to occur as long as these objects exist in our solar system.
In ancient times, people interpreted them as omens or signs from gods. Nowadays we know more about how they work, but they can still be awe-inspiring events to witness.
Whens the Next Solar Eclipse
The next total solar eclipse will occur on July 2, 2019. This eclipse will be visible in a strip of South America. The path of the moon’s shadow begins in Chile and moves across to Argentina.
A partial eclipse will also be visible in many other parts of South America, as well as some parts of Africa, Europe, and Australia.
Next Eclipse 2021
The next eclipse will be a total solar eclipse visible in parts of Antarctica on December 4, 2021. This will be the first total solar eclipse since the Great American Eclipse of 2017. The path of totality for this eclipse will only cross over a small portion of land, so it will not be as widely visible as the 2017 eclipse.
However, people in parts of southern Chile and Argentina will be able to see the moon completely block out the sun for a few minutes.
This total solar eclipse will be followed by another one just six months later on April 8, 2022. That eclipse will also be visible from Antarctica, but its path of totality will cross over a larger swath of land, including parts of Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia.
So if you missed your chance to see a total solar eclipse in 2017, mark your calendars for December 4, 2021 or April 8, 2022!
Conclusion
A solar eclipse is an amazing natural phenomenon that happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking out the sun’s light. If you are lucky enough to be in the path of a total solar eclipse, it is an experience you will never forget. Even if you are not in the path of a total eclipse, a partial eclipse is still an amazing sight.
If you want to view a solar eclipse, but don’t have any special equipment, there’s no need to worry. You can make your own simple viewer out of a cereal box. Just follow these steps:
1. Cut one end off of a cereal box so that it is open. Then, tape a piece of aluminum foil over the open end. Make sure that the foil is smooth and free of wrinkles or holes.
2. Use a pen or pencil to poke a tiny hole in the center of the foil.
3. Stand with your back to the sun, and hold the cereal box up so that sunlight shines through the hole in the foil and into the box.
