Solar eclipse is nearing for people who live in USA. You can enjoy he view and even make scientific experiments (like verify yourself Was Einstein Right?). Whatever you do, be sure to know what to do to be safe.
As August 21 solar eclipse in USA nears, remember that it’s extremely dangerous to look at the sun directly, even if most of its light is obscured by the moon. Because retinas have no pain receptors, you can permanently damage your vision without even feeling it happen.
Don’t look at the sun during a solar eclipse directly!
If you want to watch, you need suitable protective glasses to watch solaer eclipse safely.
How to View the 2017 Solar Eclipse Safely web page at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety says:
Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality.
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses”
If your eclipse glasses or viewers are compliant with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, you may look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun through them for as long as you wish.
An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially eclipsed sun is pinhole projection.
Experts suggests that one widely available filter for safe solar viewing is welders glass of sufficiently high number. The only ones that are safe for direct viewing of the Sun with your eyes are those of Shade 12 or higher. These are much darker than the filters used for most kinds of welding.
Other sources say that ISO 12312-2 is what should be printed on glasses. Or use welding goggles #14. Inspect protective glasses before you try to use them – if there are any pin holes or scratches – toss the glasses.
Scammers Are Flooding The Market With Dangerous Fake Eclipse Glasses – Here’s What Brands Are Safe To Buy | IFLScience
As August 21 nears, scammers are flooding the market with fake solar eclipse glasses. As retailers run out of eclipse glasses, some people are being duped by glasses that may look real, but that won’t actually protect your eyes.
“It’s a bunch of unscrupulous people cashing in on the eclipse and putting public safety at risk,”
Check that your eclipse glasses are safe is to see if they have the ISO logo on them. The AAS and NASA have also published a list of legitimate companies.
Alternatives that could work:
STEM Camp: Build Your Own Solar Eclipse Viewer article at https://www.livescience.com/33906-solar-eclipse-viewer.html shows how to make simple device to view solar aclipse safely.
Let us make this perfectly clear: Don’t look at the sun during a solar eclipse!
That’s not to say you can’t watch it indirectly, though. This article says that a good way to view an eclipse is through a simple pinhole camera. To build one, all you need are a few household supplies.
Another idea that comes to mind is an indirect viewing with help of digital camera. It would be safe for your eyes to look indirect view on camera monitor. The question is that can pointing a camera to sun damage it? If it’s a digital camera, yes, it can damage the sensor. It depends a lot on the type of camera, focal length, shutter speed, and how bright the sun is (overcast, noon, etc.). Because the light and heat from the sun is so intense, you also need neutral density filter. More details: Beginner’s Guide to Photographing the 2017 Solar Eclipse on Budget
Can I damage my camera by pointing it at the sun?
Your immediate reaction is probably a lot like mine. NO WAY! Well not so fast. It depends on the kind of camera you’re using. If you’ve got a digital SLR, you’ll be totally fine. If you’re using a point-and-shoot model, you might get into trouble. There’s a simple rule of thumb for all of this. If something is so bright that it hurts your eyes to look at it, that thing will probably damage your camera too. Protect your eyes! Also never look through the viewfinder of your camera when it’s pointed directly at the sun.
Will taking a picture of the sun damage my cell phone camera?
Most camera CMOS sensors have a UV shield coating so they won’t be damaged by shooting the sun. Some don’t, however.
No it will not damage it, the sensor is protected by filters and the lens is small, it doesnt focus enough light to be damaging. A dslr camera with a large telephoto lens can be damaged if the sensor is exposed for longer than a high speed snap (video or long exposure) without additional filters.
13 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Crowdsourcing The Study Of An Eclipse’s Effect On Radio Propagation
http://hackaday.com/2017/08/17/crowdsourcing-the-study-of-an-eclipses-effect-on-radio-propagation/
If you are an American, you’ll probably now find yourself in one of three camps. People who are going to see the upcoming solar eclipse that will traverse your continent, people who aren’t going to see the eclipse, and people who wish everyone would just stop going on incessantly about the damn eclipse.
Whichever of those groups you are in though, there is an interesting project that you can be a part of, an effort from the University of Massachusetts Boston to crowdsource scientific observation of the effect a solar eclipse will have on the upper atmosphere, and in particular upon the propagation of low-frequency radio waves. To do this they have been encouraging participants to build their own simple receiver and antenna, and make a series of recordings of the WWVB time signal station before, during, and after the eclipse traverse.
Version 2 Receiver Instructions
http://eng.umb.edu/~eclipsemob/index.php/homepage/build/126-receiver-instructions-2
Tomi Engdahl says:
Catch the Eclipse with a Wearable Pinhole Camera
http://hackaday.com/2017/08/18/catch-the-eclipse-with-a-wearable-pinhole-camera/
You say you didn’t have enough warning to order eclipse glasses, and now they’re too expensive to buy? Or maybe you did order some but they ended up being those retina-combusting knock-offs, and now you’ve got nothing to protect you during the partial phase of Monday’s eclipse? Don’t dump a ton of money on unobtainium glasses — just stick your head in a cardboard box.
You may end up looking like a Box Troll with the aptly named [audreyobscura]’s box on your head, but it really is a safe and effective way of watching the eclipse, or for gazing at our star anytime for that matter.
Cardboard Box Eclipse Viewer
http://www.instructables.com/id/Cardboard-Box-Eclipse-Viewer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Eclipse Science
https://xkcd.com/1877/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Is What Will Happen To Your Eyes If You Watch The Eclipse Without The Right Protective Equipment
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/heres-what-happens-to-your-eyes-if-you-look-at-the-eclipse-without-glasses/
So. You want to watch the eclipse on Monday and you think that you don’t need any of those “safety” eclipse glasses. That’s a fantastic way to cause permanent damage to your eyes.
Unless the Sun is completely covered by the Moon, you really shouldn’t look at it directly. Even a tiny sliver of our star is bright enough to hurt you. Sunlight triggers chemical reactions in the back of your eyes, which is what allows you to see. But if you are exposed to too much light, those chemical reactions are pushed to the limit and the retina gets a chemical burn. This is called solar retinopathy.
Knowing that you’re literally burning your retinas might already be enough to discourage you looking directly at the Sun
Tomi Engdahl says:
Solar eclipse video Finland 1990
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i1J3FTTYQ6I
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Eclipse When All You Have is a Welding Helmet
http://hackaday.com/2017/08/20/how-to-eclipse-when-all-you-have-is-a-welding-helmet/
What do you do if you don’t trust cheap eclipse-watching glasses from the internet? What about if everyone’s sold out? Well, if you want to watch the eclipse and you have an auto-darkening welding helmet, you can do what [daniel_reetz] did and hack something together with a remote and your welding helmet to let you see the eclipse without blinding yourself.
MacGyver a Welding Helmet to View the Solar Eclipse
http://www.instructables.com/id/MacGuyver-a-Welding-Helmet-to-View-the-Solar-Eclip/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Embiggen your Eclipse 2017 Experience with a Sun Funnel
http://hackaday.com/2017/08/19/embiggen-your-eclipse-2017-experience-with-a-sun-funnel/
As exciting as Eclipse 2017 is going to be this Monday, for some folks it might appear a bit — underwhelming. Our star only occupies about half a degree of the sky, and looking at the partial phase with eclipse glasses might leave you yearning for a bigger image. If that’s you, you’ll need to build a sun funnel for super-sized eclipse fun.
How to Super-Size the Eclipse – Sun Funnel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iejdy4f58iI
If you’ve got a telescope, give the crowd a show next week. Make the eclipse bigger! Eclipse glasses are okay, but the sun is only as big as your thumbnail at arms length. That’s not very big. I need something to impress some kindergartners! Hopefully the sun funnel can do it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Don’t Miss Watching this Solar Eclipse High Altitude Balloon Online
http://hackaday.com/2017/08/20/dont-miss-watching-this-solar-eclipse-high-altitude-balloon-online/
[Dan Julio] let us know about an exciting project that he and his team are working on at the Solid State Depot Makerspace in Boulder: the Solar Eclipse High Altitude Balloon. Weighing in at 1 kg and bristling with a variety of cameras, the balloon aims to catch whatever images are able to be had during the solar eclipse. The balloon’s position should be trackable on the web during its flight, and some downloaded images should be available as well. Links for all of that are available from the project’s page.
Solar Eclipse High Altitude Balloon
https://hackaday.io/project/26881-solar-eclipse-high-altitude-balloon
Boulder’s makerspace, Solid State Depot, is launching a high-altitude balloon in Wyoming during the Aug 21, 2017 eclipse.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Save your #eclipse glasses to view #LEDs: https://buff.ly/2xludP1
Solar eclipse glasses also work well for LED viewing
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/powersource/4374603/Solar-eclipse-glasses-also-work-well-for-LED-viewing?utm_content=bufferdce96&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
One of the occupational hazards of working with high-power LEDs and LED lights is the need/desire to look at or near the light source when it’s turned on.
And, it turns out they also work well for looking at high-brightness LEDs, especially multi-emitter LEDs, such as the matrix, or chip-on-board, or ac LEDs. It’s interesting to be able to see the architecture of all the different types of LEDs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Most people have never seen a total eclipse—so why do they believe they’re real?
https://qz.com/1055526/most-people-have-never-seen-a-total-eclipse-so-why-do-they-believe-theyre-real/
back here in 2017, everyone is focused on Aug. 21. Under the path of the eclipse, schools will be closed, traffic will be a nightmare, and hotel rooms at the Days Inn are on offer for $1,600 a night.
Absolute faith in eclipse predictions
What is remarkable among all this excitement and frenzy is the lack of “eclipse deniers.” Nobody doubts or disputes the detailed scientific predictions of what will happen.
Not one person will argue beforehand that the jury is still out on eclipses, that scientists have tampered with the data, that eclipses are faked by NASA, that exposing children to eclipses causes autism or even that eclipses are a Chinese hoax. Across the continent, there will be climate deniers, creationists, anti-vaxxers and flat-Earthers looking upwards through their eclipse glasses, all soaking up this wondrous moment along with everyone else.
This presents a puzzle: Why do people distrust or dispute so many aspects of science, but unanimously accept, without question, the ridiculously specific predictions on offer for every eclipse?
Why the selective denial of science?
One possible reason is that we’ve been right on eclipses every time before. But for most people, a total eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most people won’t have experienced such predictions first hand, and will have to take it on trust that what’s happened before for others will happen again for them.
Another explanation might be that, unlike the case for climate change or vaccinations, the science behind eclipses is simple and uncontroversial.
The more likely answer is that eclipses are not a threat. There is nothing at stake. Eclipses do not endanger our way of life or our standard of living. Nobody fears that eclipses might have economic implications, could challenge our belief system, or threaten our children. There are no anti-eclipse lobby groups trying to set the narrative, and there are thus no well-funded advertising campaigns or scientific studies that aim to raise doubts in our minds or to subtly shape our thinking.
Eclipses are agenda-free. The science—and the resulting extraordinary experience—are left to speak for themselves.
The problem is that we don’t get to pick and choose what scientific facts or consensuses are controversial, and which are not. The same strict laws of science are everywhere.
Total solar eclipses are a strange cosmic coincidence and a remarkable, awe-inspiring experience. But they are also a profound reminder that when the emotions, money and politics are stripped away, none of us, at our core, are science deniers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ask Slashdot: How Did You Experience The Solar Eclipse?
https://science.slashdot.org/story/17/08/27/0223224/ask-slashdot-how-did-you-experience-the-solar-eclipse?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
Tomi Engdahl says:
A camera store shows off gear wrecked by the solar eclipse
A good reminder to use a filter
https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/3/16249478/total-solar-eclipse-lensrentals-pictures-camera-gear-wrecked-photography
In the days and weeks leading up to the total solar eclipse over the United States last month, there were plenty of warnings for spectators: make sure you protect your eyes and camera equipment. LensRentals, a Tennessee-based camera store, rented out a number of lenses before the event and warned customers to make sure that they use solar filters. Not everyone did.
The store posted up a series of images on its blog, showing some of the cameras that were damaged during the eclipse. Blog editor Zach Sutton wrote that they weren’t out to criticize their customers, but wanted to show what happened, and that it’s fortunate that they have a repairs department.
The most common problem, Sutton wrote, was damage to sensors and shutters, but that they also saw damage to mirrors, lens irises, and even some built-in filter systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rental Camera Gear Destroyed by the Solar Eclipse of 2017
https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2017/09/rental-camera-gear-destroyed-by-the-solar-eclipse-of-2017/
We recently had quite a spectacle in the United States, with a Solar Eclipse reaching totality throughout a large portion of the United States. Being that this was the first solar eclipse passing through the Continental US since 1979, excitement ran wild on capturing this natural event using the best camera gear available.
But with such excitement, came a treasure trove of warnings. Warnings that this event can easily damage your camera, your lens, and your eyes if you do not have the proper protection. With all of our rentals leading up to this event, we warned everyone to view the event with appropriate eyewear and to attach a solar filter to the end of their lenses to protect the lens elements and camera sensor.
But despite our warnings, we still expected gear to come back damaged and destroyed.
The most common problem we’ve encountered with damage done by the eclipse was sensors being destroyed by the heat. We warned everyone in a blog post to buy a solar filter for your lens, and also sent out mass emails and fliers explaining what you need to adequately protect the equipment. But not everyone follows the rules, and as a result, we have quite a few destroyed sensors.
Overall, we were really impressed with how few pieces of gear we got back damaged. And of the things returned, we were equally impressed with our customer-base, and their guilt and owning up to the damage. Unfortunately, these types of damage are considered neglect, as warnings were given out to customers before the solar eclipse. Our LensCap insurance plan, which can be added to rentals for a small nominal fee, does not protect from neglect but is an excellent tool for those who are worried about their rental and want to protect themselves from any accidental damage.