Solar Eclipse

Nickie

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Public Service Announcement

As everyone prepares for the solar eclipse on Monday, Aug. 21, we would like to remind you of the importance of protecting your eyes during this natural phenomenon. Below please read useful tips from the National Weather Service: Don’t look directly at the Sun •
Looking directly at the Sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (totality), when the Moon entirely blocks the Sun’s bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality. •
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the Sun. To date, four manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products: Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17.

American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17. Use solar viewers or eclipse glasses with caution • Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter. Always supervise children using solar filters. •
If you have a solar viewer or eclipse glasses, stand still and cover your eyes with it before looking up at the bright Sun. After glancing at the Sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the Sun. •
If you are within the path of totality, remove your solar filter only when the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Experience totality, then, as soon as the bright Sun begins to reappear, wear your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases. •
Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device. Similarly, do not look at the Sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), potentially causing serious injury. •
Keep your pets indoors at least 30 minutes before, and after, the total eclipse occurs •
Be mindful that UV rays can damage your smart phone camera.
 
I plan to view (the partial eclipse in my area) indirectly with a pin hole shining on a white surface.
 
Reminds me of that '80s song by Timbuk3, "The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades" LOL

Good info Nickie! We dont want anyone to go blind here.

I am likely going to watch in tv or the web - maybe Weather Channel, NASA or NOAA will have a live stream.

For when it goes dark, we have a solarium room that is all glass on two walls and part of the ceiling, so we can hang out there in case of rain.

@kkimura - funny how well that works!

Some of the very first cameras worked that way, and they did not even have a lens!

Last time where was an eclipse, the local tv news did a how-to for using a shoebox with a pinhole at the long end, and then taping a piece of white paper to the opposed inside wall, and then making an 'eye-hole' in the side so you could peek into the box with the lid on and get the full effect of seeing the halo that was projected. It might be worth making one of these - but I dont recall if it requires a specific sized hole for the light to come thru in order for it to be in focus at the other end, but I'm not sure if depth-of-field is an issue since there is no lens...there might be a math example online that tells you about the focal-distance vs. hole size, but I have not looked yet myself.
 
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@kkimura - funny how well that works!

Some of the very first cameras worked that way, and they did not even have a lens!

Last time where was an eclipse, the local tv news did a how-to for using a shoebox with a pinhole at the long end, and then taping a piece of white paper to the opposed inside wall, and then making an 'eye-hole' in the side so you could peek into the box with the lid on and get the full effect of seeing the halo that was projected. It might be worth making one of these - but I dont recall if it requires a specific sized hole for the light to come thru in order for it to be in focus at the other end, but I'm not sure if depth-of-field is an issue since there is no lens...there might be a math example online that tells you about the focal-distance vs. hole size, but I have not looked yet myself.

The depth of field is theoretically infinite. This link explains it in more detail (than most will want).

http://www.huecandela.com/hue-x/pin-pdf/Prober- Wellman.pdf
 
The depth of field is theoretically infinite. This link explains it in more detail (than most will want).

http://www.huecandela.com/hue-x/pin-pdf/Prober- Wellman.pdf

Thanks for that link. That document is great. When I took a photography class in high school, we started with a pinhole camera, before moving to 35mm. Years later I got into photography with 35mm pretty seriously, and the f-stop and hyperfocal-distance were things I used to think about all that time back then, but it is coming back to me now as I read that.

Anyone wanting to understand the full explanation for how to make a pinhole camera would be well-advised to read that PDF, all of which can be applied to a solar viewer for the upcoming eclipse as well.
 
Thanks for that link. That document is great. When I took a photography class in high school, we started with a pinhole camera, before moving to 35mm. Years later I got into photography with 35mm pretty seriously, and the f-stop and hyperfocal-distance were things I used to think about all that time back then, but it is coming back to me now as I read that.

Anyone wanting to understand the full explanation for how to make a pinhole camera would be well-advised to read that PDF, all of which can be applied to a solar viewer for the upcoming eclipse as well.

And, back to the eclipse viewing topic, everyone please remember that pointing film and digital cameras directly at the sun without the proper filters can damage film and or the digital sensor.
 
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In going to Fort Morro here in San Juan for it. It is a U.S. National park, and they are making a big deal out of it. I hope that they have the eye protection there. I can't imagine the U.S. Parks Service handing out sub standard eye protection. If they don't have glasses, I'm sure they will do something else.
 
I picked up some of the eclipse glasses in Idaho Falls a couple weeks ago on the way up for a rafting trip on the Salmon River. They worked great today, as we watched the eclipse from the front yard here in Utah. We had a little neighborhood viewing party, and of course I had my uke out for entertainment. We got 92% of total here. It got a little bit darker, like similar to early evening, but the temperature different was very noticeable. The sun got to a sliver....kind of a very skinny "smiley face." It was fun to watch the progression from start to finish. From a tiny "bite" out of the corner to the full "smiley face" to a sideways sliver, and then back to normal. Fun!
 
We stood in line and got a pair of gasses. We were the last ones through so we shared with a woman and her two kids who are down here on vacation and didn't make the cut. It was interesting. The lady with the kids was very nice, and we had a good time talking with her.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed the eclipse live on TV. My work aired it in the office. :)
 
It was fine. Put the glasses over the phone lens, and used manual exposure controls. (The red is because of the filter)


eclipse0001.jpg
 
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