How do you watch a solar eclipse without harming your eyes?

Arab weather - as a rare and great event, a solar eclipse arouses the curiosity of many to look at the sun directly and observe what is happening, because the human eye becomes able to stare at the sun after its rays are blocked, but pay attention - this is harmful to the eye and may lead to blindness, and here we will explain the damages of looking at the sun at the time Eclipse, a safe way to watch a solar eclipse without harming the eyes.

More: What is a solar eclipse? How does it happen? And what are its types?

The dangers of looking at the sun directly at the time of the eclipse

Never look at the sun! Staring at the sun directly can damage the retina, which is called retinal burn or solar retinopathy, and staring at the sun at the time of an eclipse may lead to blindness, also known as eclipse blindness.

The damage can be temporary or permanent, often without any pain, and one may recognize it a few hours or a few days after watching a solar eclipse. Symptoms include loss of central vision (solar retinopathy), distorted vision, and changing color vision.

This can happen even if your eyes are exposed to direct sunlight for only a few seconds.

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Safe ways to watch a solar eclipse without harming the eyes

It is advised not to use sunglasses of all kinds, as well as colored film, X-ray sheets and tinted plastic, including car tinting paper and floppy disks, and never use binoculars or telescopes unless you have a special solar filter (filter).

The only way to see the sun safely - with or without the eclipse - is to either project the sun's rays on a screen or by using optical filters (filters),

1. Display method by projecting the image of the sun onto a display screen

Some tools can be used to view the image of the eclipse by dropping it on a sheet of paper or on a display screen. A display device can be made in the form of a box or using a telescope or binoculars. However, do not look through the lens of a telescope or binoculars while viewing the image of the sun on the screen.

2. Eclipse glasses

The eclipse can be viewed safely by wearing special eclipse glasses equipped with light filters, and according to international standards for glasses, they must be classified as 14 and above, that is, they block 99% of ultraviolet rays and 97% of the visible spectrum. Even with eclipse safety glasses, you shouldn't stare at the sun for more than 3 minutes.

It is worth noting that there are two types of glasses: paper and plastic. Plastic glasses are better because they are stronger than paper, as paper glasses are designed for single use.

3. Solar filters (filters)

You can use special solar filters to view the sun during an eclipse, but use the right kind of solar filters designed for eclipses. Check that the filters do not crack under the intense magnifying and focused sun. Solar filters must be handled with care, or they can quickly wear out and become unsafe to use.

How to make a display box with a small hole to watch the solar eclipse

The box has the advantage of making the projector more stable and easy to use, from which the solar eclipse can be viewed safely.

What tools do you need:

• Cardboard box.
• aluminum foil.
• Scissors or a sharp knife.
• Adhesive tape.
• pin.
• White paper.

Steps:

• Cut a rectangular hole at the end of the box. You can also use two boxes and glue them together to make a tall box. The longer the box, the larger the image displayed.
• Then cut a piece of aluminum foil a little larger than the rectangular hole. The piece must be completely flat and never wrinkled.
• Next, stick the aluminum piece over the rectangular hole in the box.
• Using the pin, make a small hole in the center of the piece of aluminum foil.
• Next, stick the white paper inside the box against the opposite end of the hole you made.
• Then stand with your back towards the sun, and put the box above your head, with the hole facing the sun.
• Then adjust your position so that you can see a small projection, a mirror image of the sun on the paper inside the box. And do not look at the sun through the hole.

Another shape of the solar eclipse display box:

The display case can be made using a closed box (empty shoe box):

• Make two small holes (about 1.5 cm) as far apart as possible, about 1 cm from the edge.
• Install the aluminum piece on one of them.
• Make a small hole with a needle or pin. The smaller the hole, the clearer the displayed image.
• Next, stick the white paper inside the box against the opposite end of the two holes.
• Then stand with your back toward the sun so that the hole is toward the sun.
• Look through the hole in the box next to the aluminum piece.
• Then adjust your position so that you can see a small projection, a mirror image of the sun on the paper inside the box.

( image source )

See also: Solar eclipse plunges Antarctica into darkness for two minutes after months of continuous daylight