How can I protect my eyes while watching a solar eclipse ?
Regardless of age, a solar eclipse is an event worth waiting for, especially if you are very much fortunate to witness a total eclipse. However, direct eye contact with an eclipse may be dangerous for your eyes because the sunlight causes retinal damage. There are numerous ways to enjoy an eclipse without compromising your sight, ranging from using indirect observation with a pinhole camera to wearing glasses specifically made to protect your eyes while witnessing an eclipse.
Most of us are aware that looking directly at the sun can cause damage to our retina, and if you look at the sun long enough, this damage may lead to blindness. In an annular or partial eclipse, the sunlight is still dangerous enough to cause damage in our retina, but in a total eclipse, you can directly look at the sun but as soon as the eclipse makes even a little movement, it becomes a hazard.
You will need special glasses if you want to look directly at an eclipse. Eclipse glasses filter more of the sun’s ray than any regular sunglass. These glasses allow you to stare at the sun for several minutes. You can also use welding glasses to look directly at the sun during an eclipse. There are science stores where you can purchase eclipse glasses.
Another way to watch an eclipse is through a mirror. Cover most of the mirror’s surface, leave about an inch, and angle it in the eclipse projecting into a flat surface. This way, you will be watching the eclipse in projection. Remember to be cautious when using this process; you might accidentally flash the reflection of the eclipse in someone else’s eyes.
Lastly, you can watch an eclipse using a pinhole camera. You can create your pinhole camera by cutting a small hole in a piece of cardboard. Then, face the sun backward and hold your paper with hole over a clear sheet of white paper. Make some adjustments and you will see the sun’s image. You can move the top sheet to change the focus until you get a clear image of the sun.
