An eclipse is an event in astronomy in which one celestial object or body casts a shadow into another. For many years, especially in ancient times, such events caused mixed reactions depending on the culture and traditions of the observers. For some, it means bad luck or the nearing of doomsday for all mankind. On the other hand, optimistic people see such events as miracles and could bring potential fortunes. Whatever belief you may have, eclipses are simply normal events happening in space.
First and foremost, a solar eclipse involves the Sun, our nearest star. Therefore, it would be a good idea to
take note of the strength of its energy and light and that it is very dangerous to take a look at it directly (I don’t think any one would dare or even maintain a stare at the burning sun).
The Sun emits harmful ultraviolet rays (UV) and radio waves. These elements can be transmitted within the retina of the eye which can be very harmful and damaging. Although we know that UV rays in the natural environment promote ageing and cataracts, these health conditions are not the primary concerns during direct solar eclipse watching. Such events can cause an “eclipse blinding” effect or sometimes called retina burns if one were to attempt to observe the phenomenon with the naked eye.
1. To let you enjoy the whole Solar Eclipse phenomenon, you may use special eyeglasses that are designed specifically to view an eclipse. These materials are usually coated with elements like aluminum and chromium. In numerical equivalents, the filter should be able to transmit only about 0.003% of the actual light available to the eyes.
2. Another possible device that you can use is the welding shield face mask used by construction welders called shade number 14. These masks have special glass which will allow you to observe a high intensity light source without harming your eyes. and are perfect to view a solar eclipse.
3. There are also some solar filters that are industrially manufactured. A good example would be the material which is made of aluminized polyester intentionally produced for solar observation activities. However, some researches have discovered that aluminum polyesters tend to be harmful when the coating of the material is of bad quality. So, this should be a good reminder for you in considering what devices to use.
4. One more observation device that is pretty simple and unique is to use a thin sheet of cardboard with a small hole in it. All you need to do is to let a little amount of sunlight penetrate through the hole and project it onto a white piece of paper about 3 feet beneath it. Of course, this kind of a setup won’t let you to take a look at the actual events of an eclipse up in the sky as it happens. Still, you get the idea that something amazing is actually taking place by using small scale light and shadow techniques. This is ideal for those people who have sensitive eyes and would not want to take the risk of directly observing an eclipse.
Of course, you may only be able to directly observe the Solar Eclipse phenomenon when the moon is totally covering the sun (Not to be done in a partial or annular eclipse!). During this time,
very little sunlight would reach the surface of the Earth.
There may be only a few times in our lifetimes that we will be able to observe Solar Eclipses. During those special times, it would still be very good to be on the safe side when experiencing such an amazing space spectacle.