No Eclipse Glasses? 3 Safe Ways to Watch the Solar Eclipse
Three safe ways to watch the August 12 solar eclipse without certified eclipse glasses, including a pinhole viewer, colander and dark-box projector.
Millions will be able to view a rare solar eclipse on August 12 across Europe. Certified solar-viewing glasses or a handheld device designed for direct Sun viewing are the safest options. Ordinary sunglasses block only 80-90% of light, requiring a 99.999% reduction. An ISO number on a product doesn't guarantee safety; buy from reputable suppliers and inspect for damage.
If glasses aren't available, three methods work well: pinhole viewers, colander projectors, and dark-box viewers. For pinhole viewers, create a small hole in one piece of card, use it to project an image of the Sun onto another card. Colander projectors use the colander's holes as pinholes onto a white surface. Dark-box viewers use a cardboard box with a pinhole and white paper inside.
Never look directly at the Sun through optical equipment while wearing glasses; use specialized solar filters. The path of totality will cross northern Spain, Portugal, Greenland, Iceland, and much of Western Europe, including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and northern Italy. In London, the partial eclipse begins at 6:17 p.m., peaks at 7:13 p.m., and ends at 8:06 p.m. Find an unobstructed western view for optimal viewing.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
