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 in the path of a total solar eclipse, it is an unforgettable experience. Even if you are not in the path of a total eclipse, a partial eclipse is still a beautiful sight.
If you want to view a solar eclipse, you don’t need expensive equipment. You can make your own viewer with just a few household items.
- Cut out a piece of cardboard from a cereal box that is big enough to cover your head like a helmet
- Make two small holes in the cardboard about an inch apart
- Cover one of the holes with foil and poke a small hole in the center of the foil
- Put your head through the other hole in the cardboard and look through the foil at the sun
- The sun should appear as a crescent shape
Credit: www.youtube.com
How Do You Make Solar Eclipse Glasses at Home?
Assuming you would like a tutorial on how to make solar eclipse glasses at home:
You will need the following supplies:
-2 black poster boards
-Scissors
-Tape
-A marker
-Aluminum foil
-A stapler
Instructions:
1. Cut out one large circle from each black poster board using scissors. These will be your lenses.
2. Tape the two circles together at their flat edges so that they form a single circular lens.
Make sure that the side of the lens that will face towards the sun is completely smooth and even. If it isn’t, trim it down until it is flush all around. 3. Next, take your aluminum foil and cut out a small square.
This will be used as a filter for your lens so that you can safely look at the sun during the eclipse. center the aluminum square over the hole in your lens and trace around it with your marker. Then, cut out this circle from your lens along the traced line.
4. Place the aluminum foil over the cutout hole and staple it in place around all of its edges to secure it . Be sure to only staple on top of the layer of poster board that faces away from you when looking through the completed glasses – not on top of the reflective surface! Your homemade solar eclipse glasses are now complete!
How Does a Solar Eclipse Viewer Work?
A solar eclipse viewer is a special device used to safely observe a total or partial solar eclipse. It works by blocking out the Sun’s bright light and harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation so that you can look directly at the Sun during an eclipse.
There are two types of solar eclipse viewers: handheld and unframed.
Handheld viewers are usually made of cardboard or paper and have a small hole in one side. You hold the viewer up to your eye and look through the hole at the Sun. Unframed viewers are bigger, made of Mylar or other materials, and you look through them like binoculars or a telescope.
To use a handheld solar eclipse viewer, stand with your back to the Sun and hold the viewer up to your eyes. Look through the small hole towards the Sun. The image of the Sun will appear dark inside the viewer.
As you move the viewer around, different parts of the Sun will become visible as they enter into or leave out of totality (the period when only part ofSun is visible). Do not look attheSunthroughtheviewerfor morethan3minutesatatimeand take frequentbreaks toyour eyesa rest;every20 minutesisgood.
Solar eclipses happen when Earth passes between the sun and moon, casting a shadow on our planet.
To see a total eclipse — where day turns briefly to night — you must be in just right spot on Earth’s surface when it happens; anywhere else along our planet’s circumference, you’ll witness only partial phases of this celestial event…
The Aug 21, 2017 Great American Eclipse was not only viewable across all 50 states in America but also across 14 states in Europe including Norway, Germany Denmark & France!
What are the Uses of Solar Viewer?
A solar viewer is a device that allows you to safely view the sun. Solar viewers usually have special filters that block out most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This protects your eyes from damage and makes it possible to look directly at the sun for short periods of time.
Solar viewers are often used during solar eclipses, when the moon blocks out most of the sun’s light and makes it safe to look at the sun directly. However, you can also use a solar viewer to safely observe sunspots or transits of Mercury and Venus across the face of the sun.
If you want to use a solar viewer to observe an eclipse or other astronomical event, make sure to buy one that’s specifically designed for that purpose.
Do not try to make your own solar viewer with materials like binocular lenses, smoked glass, or CDs—these do not provide adequate protection against UV radiation and could seriously damage your eyesight.
Make a solar eclipse viewer at home with a cereal box
Eclipse Viewer Box
Eclipse viewers are a type of telescope designed specifically for viewing eclipses. They usually have a small aperture and a short focal length, making them very portable and easy to use. Many eclipse viewers also have special filters that block out the Sun’s bright light, making it easier to see the faint eclipsed Moon.
If you want to experience an eclipse but don’t have a lot of time or money to invest in astronomy equipment, an eclipse viewer is a great option. With just a few minutes of setup, you can enjoy the sight of the Moon slowly being swallowed up by the shadow of the Earth.
How to Make Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse is an awe-inspiring sight that can be seen with the naked eye, but only if you take the necessary precautions. Here are tips on how to make the most of this rare event:
1. Find out when and where the eclipse will be visible.
The path of totality (where the moon completely covers the sun) is a relatively narrow strip, so you’ll need to know exactly when and where to see it. Check out websites like Eclipse2017.org for detailed information.
2. Get yourself a pair of certified eclipse glasses or handheld viewer.
These special-purpose filters allow you to look directly at the sun during an eclipse without damaging your eyesight. Do not use regular sunglasses!
3. If you’re in the path of totality, prepare for darkness.
When the moon completely covers the sun, it will get dark outside – like nighttime dark. Make sure you have flashlights or lanterns handy in case of power outages. And don’t forget about your pets; they may get scared by the sudden darkness as well.
Sunspot Viewer Shoebox
A sunspot is a dark, cool area on the surface of the sun. Sunspots are caused by intense magnetic activity. They appear as dark spots because they are cooler than the surrounding areas.
Sunspots can be large or small, and they usually last for a few days or weeks. Some sunspots can grow to be very large, and they can last for several months. The largest sunspot ever recorded was more than twice the size of Earth!
Sunspots are relatively rare, but when they do occur, they can have a big impact on our lives. For example, sunspots can cause auroras (also called Northern Lights). Sunspots also affect radio waves and solar flares.
Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy that can damage satellites and disrupt power grids on Earth.
If you want to see sunspots yourself, you’ll need a special telescope with a filter that blocks out most of the sunlight. You can also build your own “sunspot viewer” using a shoe box and some simple materials from your local hardware store.
What is a Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking out all or part of the sun. This can happen only during a new moon, when the sun and moon are in alignment. Solar eclipses can be partial, where the sun is only partly obscured by the moon, or total, where the sun is completely hidden behind the moon.
Total solar eclipses are an amazing sight to behold, as day turns into night and the sky becomes filled with a bright ring of light. If you’re lucky enough to be in the path of totality (where the sun is 100% obscured), make sure to take proper precautions to protect your eyesight! Looking directly at a solar eclipse can cause permanent damage to your eyes.
Partial solar eclipses are also fascinating to watch, though they don’t have quite as dramatic an effect on daytime lighting. No matter what kind of eclipse you witness, it’s always an incredible experience.
What is an Eclipse
An eclipse is a celestial event in which one astronomical body appears to move into the shadow of another. Eclipses occur when the sun, earth, and moon line up perfectly, with the moon in between the sun and earth. There are two types of eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.
A solar eclipse occurs when the new moon moves between the sun and earth, blocking out the sun’s light. A lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon moves into earth’s shadow. During a total eclipse, the moon is completely covered by earth’s shadow.
partial eclipses are also possible, where only a portion of the sun or moon is obscured.
Eclipses have been used throughout history to predict events or signal changes in society. In some cultures, an eclipse was seen as an omen of bad news or even as a sign that evil spirits were present.
Today, we know that eclipses are simply natural occurrences with no mystical significance attached to them.
Whether you’re watching a solar or lunar eclipse, always use proper eye protection!
Whens the Next Solar Eclipse
The next solar eclipse will occur on Tuesday, August 21, 2017. This eclipse will be a total eclipse visible in a band across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout North America and parts of South America, Africa, and Europe.
Next Eclipse 2021
Eclipse 2021 is the next total solar eclipse. It will occur on April 8, 2021 and be visible across a large swath of the United States, including parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. This will be the first total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States since 2017.
The path of totality for this eclipse will be approximately 70 miles wide and stretch from coast to coast. The last time an eclipse was visible across the entire country was in 1918.
This eclipse will also be notable for being the first one visible during daylight hours since 1979.
The last time this happened was during the so-called “Solar Maximum” when sunspot activity was at its peak.
If you want to see this eclipse, make sure to check out our guide on where to view it. And if you can’t make it out to see it in person, don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to watch it online as well!
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’re lucky enough to be in the path of a total eclipse, it’s an experience you’ll never forget. Even if you’re not in the path of a total eclipse, you can still see a partial eclipse, and it’s well worth making the effort to view it.
There are several ways to safely view a solar eclipse, but one of the simplest and most popular is to make your own viewer out of a cereal box. Here’s how:
1) Cut out one end of a clean, dry cereal box so that it forms a rectangular opening.
Cover this opening with aluminum foil, shiny side out. Tape the foil securely in place.
2) Poke a small hole in the center of the foil using a thumbtack or sharp pencil point.
Stand with your back to the sun and hold the cereal box up so that sunlight shines through the pinhole onto the bottom inside surface of the box. Look at this surface; you should see an image of the sun that is significantly dimmer than looking at it directly (don’t look at the sun directly – ever! It will damage your eyes).
