Tips for making a homemade viewer to watch the solar eclipse in Colombia

On October 14, 2023, an astronomical event will occur that can be observed in some cities in the country.its about annular solar eclipse, The moon is located between the earth and the sun, This causes the star’s light to appear ring-shaped.

While this is a show not to be missed, it is important to remember that you must have some Be especially careful when observing, Well, not doing so can have serious consequences for your eyes.

NASA recommends purchasing special glasses, which you can buy at various stores around the country, or Make a homemade solar eclipse viewer, you only need one Cereal box, a white paper and Some aluminum foil. How is it done? We’ll tell you below.

Pinhole camera: what is it? Why is it recommended for viewing a solar eclipse?

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pinhole camera They are an ancient device that is fundamental to camera network operation. Light will pass through a small hole in the device and eventually hit the wall opposite the hole.

Like the human eye, the projected image will appear in reverse. In the case of a solar eclipse, An image of the sun will be projected onto nearby surfaces, Always have your back to the sun.

How to Make a Homemade Solar Eclipse Viewer

NASA Recommend to pass simple viewer This is also easy to do. This will protect your eyes See the solar ellipse for free.

Viewers are divided divided into three parts: Place the hole for the eye, the pupil paper with a very small hole through which sunlight can enter, and a white paper that acts as a screen. If you are interested in doing it, You must follow these steps:

1. get A box big enough. It could be cereal or a shoe box. The longer the box, the better the projection of the sun.
2. You need to make two square slits in the box, you can cut them out with scissors or a scalpel. One for the viewfinder and another for where the sunlight comes in, both on the same side. To be more precise, you can use the final image to guide yourself.
3. court A paper Same size as the other side of the cut.
4. Check that the dimensions are correct, then Glue the cutouts to the inside of the box, on the other side of the viewfinder. Ideally, you should glue it down with a glue stick.
5. cut out piece of aluminum foil Glue it where the light is going to come in, then use a needle to make a very small hole.
6. When you’re done, it’s a good idea to cover the entire box with paper or cloth, except for the gaps. This way there is no risk of light getting in from anywhere. You can also cover these areas with black tape.

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Once completed, Now you can observe the eclipse. To use it, you have to put your eye over the viewfinder, and the aluminum piece with the hole in it, Must point to the sun. The light will cast the entire spectacle of the annular eclipse onto the white paper at the bottom of the box.

This projector can also be done using just two white projectors. You have to punch a small hole in one of them. You must then hold two pieces of cardboard with your back to the sun so that the light passes through the hole in the first piece of cardboard and reflects on the other piece of cardboard, which must be three spans away.

What’s important Never, for any reason, look at the sun through a hole, It can cause a lot of damage to the eyes. Please remember the advice from the Ministry of Health to take care of your eyes while enjoying astronomy events.