Solar Eclipse - Safety First!

How to Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse

Watching even a partial eclipse is an exciting experience. However, it can also be a dangerous experience if proper precautions are not taken.

So here are some rules to keep you safe:

DO's

• Click Here to read NASA's "How to View the 2017 Solar Eclipse Safely."
• Use proper shielding. For naked eye observations "eclipse glasses" are available through many Internet outlets and probably at local outlets and are inexpensive. Only #14 Welder glass or higher is acceptable. Again, viewing the sun directly without proper shielding can lead to blindness.
• There are many ways to view the eclipse without shielding. Pinhole projection works. Put a very small hole in a piece of heavy paper or cardboard and project the image of the sun to another piece of cardboard or even the ground. You can even cross the fingers of each hand to make a waffle pattern and close the distance between your fingers to make a "hand pinhole projection."

DON'T's

• Do not use smoked glass, layers of exposed photographic film, or layers of sunglasses to view the partial eclipse, these are all very dangerous must be avoided. Using any of these methods can lead to blindness at worse and eye damage at best.
• Do not use unshielded binoculars or telescopes to view the partial eclipse. Blindness can instantly occur. Welder glass does not work for optical instruments. If you insist, get proper shielding from one of the many retail telescope companies on the Internet or get a cheap pair of solar-only binoculars or a solar-only telescope. These "solar only" cheapies are useless for anything except viewing the sun, but fun. Lunt is a reputable company.

Stay safe,
Ed Wiley
Sun City Nature Club