Achi news desk-
TORONTO – If you haven’t been able to secure eclipse sunglasses before the biggest celestial event in years, don’t worry.
There are other ways to safely observe the eclipse on Monday, albeit indirectly.
Millions of people across a swath of North America, including parts of Eastern Canada and Atlantic Canada, will experience a few minutes of darkness in the middle of the day as the moon passes in front of the sun.
One of the simple ways to observe the phenomenon is with a pinhole camera – more accurately described as a projector – which can be created with items most of us already have at home.
If you’re really pressed for time, even a single piece of paper and a pushpin will do the trick, says Elaina Hyde, director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory at Toronto’s York University.
“A pinhole camera (is) one of the oldest camera techniques,” he said.
A basic pinhole projector can be made by pushing a pin through a piece of paper or cardboard to create a small hole. When you take that paper outside and cast a shadow with it on the ground, the little light that passes through the hole projects a “tiny image of the sun” and will allow safe tracking of the eclipse, Hyde said.
“And this will work with almost anything you have in your house. You can use a sturdy construction board. You can use paper.”
Another option, he says, is to use a common kitchen utensil.
“If you have a pasta strainer that has round holes in it, you can take it outside and cast the shadow of the pasta strainer on the ground,” says Hyde. “When you look at the shadow of a pasta filter, all those holes – are going to be tiny little images of the sun.”
If you’re willing to put in a little more effort – and want to get kids involved in a fun activity – you can create a pinhole camera out of a cereal box, shoe box or other eye-catching cardboard box.
For this project, you will need a piece of white paper, scissors, aluminum foil, a pin and tape.
According to NASA and the Canadian Space Agency’s instructions, cover one of the inside sides of the box with white paper, cut to size – this is what will show a projection of the eclipse.
Cut two square or rectangular holes on the other side of the box, one on the left and one on the right. The holes should be at least 10 centimeters apart – one is to see inside, and the other will be adjusted to project the eclipse onto the paper inside.
Next, cover one of the holes with aluminum foil, taped in place, and then put a pin through a small hole in the foil. Make sure the box is tightly sealed.
With your back to the sun during the eclipse, look through the hole in the uncovered box and position yourself so that light enters the pinhole and the shape of the sun is projected onto the white paper inside the box as the eclipse progresses.
Hyde stressed the importance of never looking directly at the sun during the eclipse without proper eye protection, which must have an ISO-rated solar filter.
“Don’t try to use welders’ goggles. Do not use regular sunglasses. Don’t pile up pairs of ordinary sunglasses,” he says.
“Anything you’re thinking of DIYing (to watch the eclipse), it needs to be indirect. There is no way to DIY a pair of safe sunglasses.”
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on April 5, 2024.
