- May 27, 2012
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I'm sure most people in the US have heard of what's happening but I just wanted to point out a few things to protect people's vision. I wouldn't want anyone here (or a child or pet) accidentally losing some vision due to misinformation or ignorance.
The first thing is that the light from the sun is still dangerous during an eclipse. The problem is that our normal blink and pain reflexes are suppressed due to the low light levels. The only time a solar eclipse is safe to view is during the time of total eclipse within a narrow band of locations for a few minutes. At all other times, eye damage is possible. Many people recommend not letting small children, babies, or pets be in a position where the eclipsed sun is shining in their face no matter how dim it is or to just keep them inside. Their normal blink reflexes and pain will not stop them from looking directly at the sun and incurring damage. I've heard conflicting info about safety on a cloudy day. My gut reaction is better safe than sorry.
This post is meant to be an FYI as to a few possible methods to follow the eclipse and the things that concern me safety wise. It is NOT a how-to with enough details. There are many web sites that provide more details. Here's one: How to Safely See a Partial Solar Eclipse - Sky & Telescope
It is possible to view the sun using approved eclipse glasses or adequate filters. Please note that many welding helmets and filters are NOT adequate. Most unmarked welding helmets sitting around are probably not adequate. From the sources I trust the most, it sounds like #13 and #14 are okay and #12 is borderline. I've seen some sources say #12 is okay but probably too bright and I've seen others say no. Speaking for myself only, if I had an old welding mask, I wouldn't use it unless I tested it out on a bright sunny day by squinting and glancing through it using the same eye motions I'd use if the sun was bright in the sky and I was trying to look at a bird or plane with the naked eye. Even if it seemed dark enough, I'm still not sure I'd trust my vision to it screening out enough of the UV and invisible spectrum. Bottom line, it's not worth the risk to me. I had someone at a hardware store try to sell me a #8 replacement glass as an alternative to approved glasses, but this was NOT correct! Also, while in theory, eclipse glasses are supposed to be quality tested and safe, my inclination is that I'll only be looking through them for brief glances to check on the progress of the eclipse. I won't be sitting in a chair watching the sun continuously through them for several minutes at a time.
Clouds permitting, there are two methods I'm going to use in addition to approved glasses. There are a couple projection methods I tested out this afternoon with a full sun. I grabbed two pieces of tagboard and a pin from my wife's sewing gear. I punched a small hole in one piece of tagboard, held it so the sun would shine on it, and put the other piece of tagboard in the shadow. A small image of the sun appeared. It's nothing earth shattering, but it's a nice little image of the sun.
A second method is PROJECTING an image using binoculars. Projecting means shining the light from the sun onto some type of surface and then looking at that surface. Do not look through them! I tested this out with my back to the sun holding a cheap pair of compact binoculars at hip level off to my side and got a nice image shining on the ground. With the big lenses toward the sun, it projected a nice image onto the ground. Now, there are potentially issues with heat buildup on the surface or in the binoculars when doing this. I would NOT point the image at anything flammable or let a pet or child near the image! I'll only be doing it for short intervals at a time. Depending on the configuration and size of the binoculars and lenses, you could potentially get a lot of heat build up and set something on fire. EDIT[I will also be carefully holding them making sure I do not accidentally get my hand or arm in the way of the light shining out of the lenses!]
This is a cool event that doesn't come around all that often. It also carries the real risk of permanent eye damage because it is a few hours where our normal reflexes and pain do not protect us.
The first thing is that the light from the sun is still dangerous during an eclipse. The problem is that our normal blink and pain reflexes are suppressed due to the low light levels. The only time a solar eclipse is safe to view is during the time of total eclipse within a narrow band of locations for a few minutes. At all other times, eye damage is possible. Many people recommend not letting small children, babies, or pets be in a position where the eclipsed sun is shining in their face no matter how dim it is or to just keep them inside. Their normal blink reflexes and pain will not stop them from looking directly at the sun and incurring damage. I've heard conflicting info about safety on a cloudy day. My gut reaction is better safe than sorry.
This post is meant to be an FYI as to a few possible methods to follow the eclipse and the things that concern me safety wise. It is NOT a how-to with enough details. There are many web sites that provide more details. Here's one: How to Safely See a Partial Solar Eclipse - Sky & Telescope
It is possible to view the sun using approved eclipse glasses or adequate filters. Please note that many welding helmets and filters are NOT adequate. Most unmarked welding helmets sitting around are probably not adequate. From the sources I trust the most, it sounds like #13 and #14 are okay and #12 is borderline. I've seen some sources say #12 is okay but probably too bright and I've seen others say no. Speaking for myself only, if I had an old welding mask, I wouldn't use it unless I tested it out on a bright sunny day by squinting and glancing through it using the same eye motions I'd use if the sun was bright in the sky and I was trying to look at a bird or plane with the naked eye. Even if it seemed dark enough, I'm still not sure I'd trust my vision to it screening out enough of the UV and invisible spectrum. Bottom line, it's not worth the risk to me. I had someone at a hardware store try to sell me a #8 replacement glass as an alternative to approved glasses, but this was NOT correct! Also, while in theory, eclipse glasses are supposed to be quality tested and safe, my inclination is that I'll only be looking through them for brief glances to check on the progress of the eclipse. I won't be sitting in a chair watching the sun continuously through them for several minutes at a time.
Clouds permitting, there are two methods I'm going to use in addition to approved glasses. There are a couple projection methods I tested out this afternoon with a full sun. I grabbed two pieces of tagboard and a pin from my wife's sewing gear. I punched a small hole in one piece of tagboard, held it so the sun would shine on it, and put the other piece of tagboard in the shadow. A small image of the sun appeared. It's nothing earth shattering, but it's a nice little image of the sun.
A second method is PROJECTING an image using binoculars. Projecting means shining the light from the sun onto some type of surface and then looking at that surface. Do not look through them! I tested this out with my back to the sun holding a cheap pair of compact binoculars at hip level off to my side and got a nice image shining on the ground. With the big lenses toward the sun, it projected a nice image onto the ground. Now, there are potentially issues with heat buildup on the surface or in the binoculars when doing this. I would NOT point the image at anything flammable or let a pet or child near the image! I'll only be doing it for short intervals at a time. Depending on the configuration and size of the binoculars and lenses, you could potentially get a lot of heat build up and set something on fire. EDIT[I will also be carefully holding them making sure I do not accidentally get my hand or arm in the way of the light shining out of the lenses!]
This is a cool event that doesn't come around all that often. It also carries the real risk of permanent eye damage because it is a few hours where our normal reflexes and pain do not protect us.
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