No Protective Glasses? Simple Ways To Watch The Solar Eclipse Safely

For those of you, who couldn’t buy any solar eclipse glasses to view the Great American Eclipse on Monday, fret not. From using cereal boxes to pasta strainer, there are many simple techniques that the enthusiasts can use to view the rare celestial event.

This is the first time since 1918 a total solar eclipse would span across the United States. However, for safety concerns, it is not advisable to look directly into the sun without taking appropriate precautions as it could end up severely hurting the eyes.

The awe-inspiring astronomical event can be viewed through the solar eclipse glasses, certified by the American Astronomical Society and NASA, which are available in several retail chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Bi-Mart.

If you did not find time to get your pair of eclipse glasses, NASA is offering two live streams of the event with one covering the eclipse across the U.S., the second one broadcasting from Carbondale, Illinois, right along the path of totality — probably featuring the best view of the eclipse.

San Francisco’s science museumExploratorium has also set up a crew in Oregon and Casper, Wyoming, with approximately 20,000 pounds of gear to view the eclipse. The live stream will start at 12 p.m. EDT.

But for those of you who don’t want to view the eclipse on their laptops, NASA has suggested another way to make your own equipment with the help of an empty cereal box to view the eclipse. The video has been produced by NASA with a step by step guide to making a pin projector to safely watch the Monday's solar event.

You can also use a pasta strainer to project the eclipse on the ground or on a wall behind you. This would produce the same effect as a pinhole camera. The objective of is to let the sun pass through the pasta strainer that has tiny holes.

By holding your hands together so that your fingers crisscross, you can produce the same effect. Business Insider posted a video explaining the technique.

It is also possible for you to photograph the eclipse on your iPhone. You can capture a closer view of the eclipse using a smartphone mounted on the end of a telescope by following a few simple instructions, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal,

Apple has clarified the eclipse won’t harm the phone’s camera. One can get a far better picture by holding a pair of eclipse glass directly in front of the lens of the camera. Also, don’t forget to use a tripod to steady the camera for a better shot.

During an eclipse, light levels change continuously and though your phone can adjust to it, it would be helpful to learn to tweak your exposure setting. For doing that, tap on the screen and hold your finger there, then adjust the light by sliding your finger up or down. This helps focus the camera. After following all these steps, zoom wide into the image and voila! You have the picture of the year 2017 on your smartphone.