Binocular and Monocular Safe Solar Viewing

by Thorigol in Workshop > Science

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Binocular and Monocular Safe Solar Viewing

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I've been watching all the instructables recently about viewing the upcoming eclipse and no one has posted my favorite for anyone who wants a good view of the eclipse with only two items, both likely to be on hand. It is based on the pinhole technique, but easier to make and provides much better magnification. So here goes...

A Cardboard Box and Viewing Glass Is All You Need

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Start with any 5 sided cardboard box, the larger the better. Five sided because you view the image on the one open side of the cube, the other sides provide shade.

Add any magnifying lens - Binocular or Monocular of any kind will work, from spotting scopes to k-mart kiddie bino's.

Cut a Hole, Attach the Glass

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One end of the box supports your viewing device's ocular lens (that's the one you hold up to your eye - you will point the other end towards the sun when ready). Cut a hole about the size of your eyepiece at the center of this end.

The other end of the box is you viewing screen. You can leave it plain cardboard but you'll get a brighter image if you tape a nice white sheet of paper down.

Point at the Sun and Enjoy

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Use the focus adjustment on your glass to adjust a sharp pic on the "screen." That's all there is to it.

Success!

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Just had to post a pic of the actual eclipse viewing after the event. We got to 93% here in Evergreen Colorado and this little tool made the experience far more enjoyable as I could really watch the progress.