How to Safely Watch the Last Partial Solar Eclipse of the Year
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Get ready for a partial solar eclipse Thursday when the new moon obscures part of the sun, darkening the skies and casting a spectacular shadow.
It’s not safe to look at the sun with the naked eye and regular sunglasses won’t suffice. NASA suggests viewing the solar eclipse — the fourth and final eclipse of the year — with a special solar filter.
If those aren’t available, there’s a quick and fun hack to make your own viewfinder.
You’ll need a long box (a shoe box is ideal), a small piece of foil, a white piece of paper, tape and a box cutter.
- Cut a rectangular hole at the end of the box.
- Next, tape a small piece of foil over the hole.
- Then, use a pin to poke a small hole in the center of the foil.
- Now it’s time to set up your viewing screen. Cut a white piece of paper into a rectangle about the size of the hole you cut. Tape it directly across the box from the foil screen.
- For your final step, cut a rectangular viewing hole in the side of the box near the viewing screen.
If it’s not a soggy day outside, get ready to use your new pinhole projector. Never look directly at the sun. Instead, peer through the viewing hole while pointing the side with the foil toward the sun.
You should be able to view the partial solar eclipse on the white screen inside of the box.
For those in the U.S., the eclipse will begin around 1:35 p.m. in Seattle. As the Earth turns, the rest of the country will be treated to the phenomenon closer to sunset, with it reaching New York at 5:49 p.m. and Tallahassee, Florida, at 6:09 p.m.
NASA has posted a list of what time the eclipse is expected to happen in major United States cities here.
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