Watch The Solar Eclipse Without Special Glasses

The solar eclipse will happen this Monday, August 21 and we are in its path. It will occur at 1:22pm in our area. It is important that you do NOT look directly at the sun as the moon passes through. The special glasses you need to view the eclipse are becoming more expensive. Here are a few cheap projects you can make to view the eclipse without the glasses.These are a couple of alternative ways to view the solar eclipse without eclipse glasses. (Remember, you cannot use regular sunglasses to view the eclipse. They will NOT protect your eyes from the harmful rays.)

Simple Card Projector - Using two pieces of white cardboard paper, take one sheet of paper and make a tiny hole in the middle. Use a thumbtack and make sure the hole is smooth. With your back toward the Sun, hold 1 piece of paper above your shoulder allowing the Sun to shine on the paper. The second paper will act as a screen to project the image of the Sun from a distance. The Sun will show through the hole onto the paper screen.

A Box Pinhole Projector - This works similarly to the basic projector above. You will need a cardboard box (the longer the box, the larger the protected image), aluminum foil, tape, scissors, a thumbtack and a sheet of paper.

Cut a rectangular hole at the end of the box. Using the scissors, cut out a piece of the aluminum foil slightly larger than the rectangular hole. Make sure the foil is completely flat and not wrinkled. Tape the foil over the rectangular hole in the box. Use the thumbtack to poke a tiny hole in the center of the foil. Tape the sheet of paper on the inside of the other end of the box. Stand with your back toward the Sun. Place the box over your head with the pinhole toward the Sun. Move around until you see a small projection, in reverse, of the eclipse on the paper inside the box.

Remember DO NOT look directly at the Sun during the solar eclipse. You can do major damage to your eyes.

These are just a couple of ideas for you to make so you can still enjoy the solar eclipse safely. Then next eclipse will come our way in 2023.