Hey there! Are you excited about the upcoming solar eclipse? Squeaks and I sure are! A solar eclipse is when the moon moves in front of the sun, making it look like nighttime during the day. We’ve learned how eclipses happen, but now let’s talk about how to watch them safely.
Looking straight at the sun is dangerous because its light can harm your eyes, even if it doesn’t feel like it. During an eclipse, the moon won’t completely cover the sun everywhere, so looking directly at it can still hurt your eyes.
One way to safely watch the eclipse is by using special eclipse glasses. If you choose this method, make sure a grown-up helps you get a safe pair. But there’s another fun and safe way to see the eclipse: making a pinhole viewer!
You can make a pinhole viewer with things you probably already have at home or school. Here’s what you’ll need:
First, have a grown-up help you cut the paper into two squares, about 13 centimeters (or 5 inches) on each side. Then, use the thumbtack or needle to poke a tiny hole in the middle of one piece of paper. That’s it! If you want, you can decorate the piece with the hole, but keep the other piece plain white.
To use your pinhole viewer, go outside on a sunny day and face away from the sun. Hold the paper with the hole over your shoulder and the other piece in front of you. Move the second piece of paper until you see a small projection of the sun. This image is safe to look at because it’s dim enough not to harm your eyes.
The pinhole viewer works like a simple camera. Only a little light passes through the tiny hole, creating a small, safe picture of the sun on the second piece of paper.
Now that you have your eclipse viewer, you’re all set to enjoy the show! If you want to learn more about eclipses, Squeaks and I have talked about them before, so feel free to check that out. Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you next time here at the fort!
Make Your Own Eclipse Model: Gather a flashlight, a small ball (like a ping pong ball), and a larger ball (like a basketball). In a dark room, use the flashlight to represent the sun, the small ball as the moon, and the larger ball as the Earth. Have a grown-up help you hold the flashlight steady. Move the small ball between the flashlight and the larger ball to create your own eclipse. Notice how the shadow of the small ball falls on the larger ball. Can you make a total eclipse where the small ball completely covers the flashlight’s light?
Shadow Play: On a sunny day, go outside and observe your shadow. Notice how it changes when you move closer to or farther from the ground. Try to make your shadow as small as possible and then as large as possible. Think about how the moon’s shadow works during an eclipse. How is it similar to your shadow?
Question Time: Discuss with a friend or family member why it’s important to use a pinhole viewer or special glasses to watch an eclipse. What do you think would happen if you looked directly at the sun without protection? Why do you think the moon can block the sun even though it’s much smaller?
