As many of you would know, that the moon will pass directly between the Sun and the Earth on Monday, 21st August of this year(2017), causing a total solar eclipse. This will be the first time in 99 years, the path of totality(when the Sun's light is completely blocked by the moon) will travel across the length of the continent.
Although, it's extremely dangerous to look at the sun, even if most of its light is obscured by the moon. Just as a magnifying glass can focus enough sunlight onto a leaf to start a fire, the lens in your eye can also focus that silver of light onto your retina to burn it. And because retina has no pain receptors, you can permanently damage your vision without even feeling it happen. It will be totally painless, not painful. So, never look at the sun directly during a solar eclipse.
Although, you can watch the eclipse indirectly. The best way to view an eclipse is through a simple pinhole camera. To build one, all you need are a few common household materials:
Step 1: Cut a small hole (about 1 inch across) in one end of the shoe box, near an edge.
Step 2: Tape a piece of tinfoil/aluminium foil over the hole.
Step 3: Using a pin or needle, punch a hole at the center of the foil.
Step 4: Tape a small piece of white paper to the inside of the box, at the opposite end from the foil-covered hole. The paper should be positioned so that light entering the box through the pin hole will hit it. This is where you will look for the sun.
Step 5: Cut a 1-inch diameter hole in the box near the image screen (the white piece of paper), but on a different side of the box -- the side adjacent to the screen. This is your main viewing hole; it must be positioned such that you can look through it at an angle and see the image screen.
When the time comes for the eclipse, hold the shoe box so that it lines up with its own shadow, demonstrating that it is aligned with light from the sun. Stand so that when you look through the viewing hole, you can see a tiny bead of light on the image screen, i.e, the sun. During the eclipse, you will see the shadow of the moon pass in front of the sun.
You can also see how to make a pinhole camera on various primary/secondary school books.
You can also watch a video on how to make it.
Bookmark our website and visit us regularly for interesting physics stuffs.
Although, it's extremely dangerous to look at the sun, even if most of its light is obscured by the moon. Just as a magnifying glass can focus enough sunlight onto a leaf to start a fire, the lens in your eye can also focus that silver of light onto your retina to burn it. And because retina has no pain receptors, you can permanently damage your vision without even feeling it happen. It will be totally painless, not painful. So, never look at the sun directly during a solar eclipse.
Although, you can watch the eclipse indirectly. The best way to view an eclipse is through a simple pinhole camera. To build one, all you need are a few common household materials:
- A box(a shoe box will work)
- A small piece of tinfoil/aluminium foil.
- A white sheet of paper.
- A tape.
- A pin/needle
- A knife/box cutter
Step 1: Cut a small hole (about 1 inch across) in one end of the shoe box, near an edge.
Step 2: Tape a piece of tinfoil/aluminium foil over the hole.
Step 3: Using a pin or needle, punch a hole at the center of the foil.
Step 4: Tape a small piece of white paper to the inside of the box, at the opposite end from the foil-covered hole. The paper should be positioned so that light entering the box through the pin hole will hit it. This is where you will look for the sun.
Step 5: Cut a 1-inch diameter hole in the box near the image screen (the white piece of paper), but on a different side of the box -- the side adjacent to the screen. This is your main viewing hole; it must be positioned such that you can look through it at an angle and see the image screen.
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| A Pinhole Camera |
When the time comes for the eclipse, hold the shoe box so that it lines up with its own shadow, demonstrating that it is aligned with light from the sun. Stand so that when you look through the viewing hole, you can see a tiny bead of light on the image screen, i.e, the sun. During the eclipse, you will see the shadow of the moon pass in front of the sun.
You can also see how to make a pinhole camera on various primary/secondary school books.
You can also watch a video on how to make it.
Bookmark our website and visit us regularly for interesting physics stuffs.
Sources: Livescience
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