Heat buildup can be a problem with some oculars. My binocs are decent but inexpensive and 23 years old. I also only use this technique for a minute or so. Gives them time to cool off. If you are at all nervous; then do not try it. Go for the pinhole camera.
I remember doing this with binoculars to watch the transit of Venus. Afterwards my binoculars wouldn't focus properly. Turns out the glue holding the prism melted. Cheap binoculars so didn't matter. I watched a partial eclipse of the sun with another pair of better binoculars and had no issues. What a great video to show a low-cost approach to viewing the sun!
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in this saturday we´ll the eclipse visible in Brazil. Thanks for quick tips
This video helped me make a pinhole projector for the eclipse on Aug 21, and I was so pleased it worked out well! I am in Canada so it wasn't the full eclipse, but it was really neat to see a crescent sun projected in the box. I used the long box projector style, and tried the flat cardboard piece with paper on the ground just to try a different technique. I got some pretty neat pics of my projected image :D
I'm glad some algorithm brought me here. Had only found method 1 prior to the June 2021 eclipse. That was okay, but now tested the method 3 with a cheap smartphone zoom lense (for a random comment viewer: never look directly at the sun with naked eye or any optical device!), and that would've been so nice for viewing the eclipse. Big thank you for the great video!
heat buildup can be a problem. My binocs are decent but inexpensive (and 23 years old), and I only use them for a minute or so at a time. If you are at all nervous; don't try it.
There was a question that asked if the blocking cardboard is needed ? Yes, it is. You are trying to project the Sun's image and it is easier if you have a shadow to contrast it.
Thomas: take a look at the video. You don't look through the binocs, you project the image from the binocs onto a shaded piece of paper. The image will be magnified. You'll be able to see sun spots and the moon's shadow moving across the face of the sun.
Glad you got to see it. Which method did you use and were you able to take any photos? If so, please let us know where you were when you took them. (sunrise is just coming up here in Massachusetts)
Al Murray well, i used the second method, only it was a much smaller cardboard. Still, the projection of the sun was very clear and enjoyable. I watched the eclipe in athens, greece,so it was a partial eclipse.
I wonder if there is a risk of damaging binocular optics when pointed at the sun... All that energy going through the glass mostly spills out the back, but there must be a small amount of waste heat generated. Did you see any evidence for flaking coating after doing that?
yes, there is a risk. My binocs aren't very expensive and I only point them towards the sun for a few moments at a time. There is a LOT of built up heat and glued components can easily melt.
With a box that big, I would probably use something bigger than a pin, such as the tip pf a pen. I use a pin for a shoebox or cerealbox viewer.(the hole size varies with the size of the box.)
It is a trade off. The smaller the pin hole, the better focus you get, even at long distances. the larger the hole, the brighter your image will be but it will be fuzzy and out of focus.
Curious about the magnified technique. Wondering if aimed at the sun for more than a few seconds might build high heat in the ocular.. Not sure I want to risk my FMT-SX fujis
sure, if you have a really, really long path to your target. The Pinhole gives me a 1/3" target at 24" distance. You can plug in the lens equation for s simple convex lens, you'll need several dozen feet. The 2nd lens on the binocs helps bring this to a manageable length.
Enjoyed the video! We've built a projector with a 3/4 inch punched hole. Will be interesting to see how much of the sun will be blocked out in north Texas.
dear the Sci Life: as a back up, I'd make some foil overlay with actual pin-sized holes. I think your 3/4" holes are way too large. It will be hard to focus the light. The idea of a camera obscura or pinhole projector is to only allow parallel light in from an object at infinity and to then focus that light on your target. More light will make for a brighter image but that light will be blurred across your target. The holes I used were from a paperclip. For small holes with a pin, a ragged edge is less likely than with larger tools as you found out. If Sunday turns out sunny, give your projectors a tryout. You can adjust the pinholes and the length of the boxes as needed. Have a blast with the kids! BTW: in the Dallas/Ft Worth area (not sure where in N Texas you are) the eclipse will be about 75%, which is better than the 68% I'll be getting here in Massachusetts. I'm making a few pinhole projectors out of mailing tubes and one eyepiece projector to take to work on Monday.
Thanks Al! Hmm I've got that feeling like we may have messed something up. The good news is we've actually made 3 different versions, one of which being a true pinhole size (well thumb tack). If you get a chance, check out our video where we tested with a phone camera light, and let me know what you think. 75% huh... that sounds promising! We thought briefly about heading up north but we've already made that drive once this summer. Will have to in 2024 :)
I saw the video, the problem with a cell phone camera, or any terrestrial light source is that the rays aren't parallel as the rays from stellar objects (starts/the sun) are. Any divergent light (flash, incandescent or LED) will not satisfy the parallel lines needed to test out a lens. the "real" pin point hole will give nice crisp image at the tradeoff of being dimmer dimmer. I used 24" (61cm) mailing tubes this year with a tiny pinhole, the image is only about .5cm across. the ratio will be about the same, to get a 1cm image, the tube will need to be 120cm long. I setup my eyepiece projector today (binocs on a tripod) and got a decent 10.5cm image. Good luck and clear skies.
Hi, we are entering a period of Solar Minimum so there may not be any sunspots on any given day. Check here spaceweather.com/ and look for the "Daily Sun" feature to see if there are any sunspots.
Dave: Absolutely. another safe method is to purchase "eclipse glasses" but only from a reputable source. www.telescope.com/Accessories/Telescope-Eyepiece-Filters/Orion-Solar-Eclipse-Safe-Viewing-Glasses-5-Pack/c/3/sc/48/p/116532.uts or myscienceshop.com/product/gift/81037
Be very careful using eyepiece projection with telescopes. The focused rays from the sun will be very bright and very hot. Only use a refractor, never a reflector. Aiming is more difficult and the temptation to just take a peek can overwhelm safety. Look for a video on a solar funnel. A very safe method of telescopic solar projection. I may build one later this summer.
I think I did saw directly to the sun, in fact many times..and I'm okay.. Could I ask you..? Can my eyes be used to see the sun, and won't be hurt ever?
there was a question regarding which end of the binoculars to point towards the sun: stick the objective (large lens) through the cardboard and point that towards the sun. project through the eyepiece onto the paper. again, NEVER look at the sun, especially through binoculars or a telescope.
Sure. Anything that is sturdy but will allow you to poke a hole will do. The cardboard itself gives a ragged edge. Foil is easiest but may not be available where you live.
+Al Murray thank you very much, your video and your reply helped me so much, i'm from indonesia (the country which can see eclipse in 2016) that's why your video is very useful :^D
NO! Sunglasses only block a small percentage of the sunlight. Approved solar glasses block close to 99% and allow you to only see the sun. The brightness should be reduced to about what you'd see when looking at the full moon.
Thanks Al for responding! By the way Al, I project the Sun's image using binoculars because I don't own a telescope. What I see is a pale yellow disk,especially when looking back and forth between the white paper for contrast. Is that what you see with your telescope with its higher magnification ? I won't pester you with any more questions Al!
Then do you see what I see Al? ( pale yellow dot?) My binoculars are 7x35 too. Also,why is projecting safe? Don't UV-rays get reflected off of the paper too?
As you can see in the movie, I see a 1-2" bright white disk withe sunspots clearly defined. as I understand reflection, the light penetrates several layers of the paper, the shorter UV wavelengths penetrate more deeply and are mostly absorbed while the white light is partly absorbed and partly reflected.
I don't think that would be a safe idea. 1) you'll probably damage your camera as the concentrated light will saturate and cook the CCD. 2) the camera body doesn't provide much protection from teh sun; it is easy to accidentally look past the camera and into ye sun. The methods I recommend have you looking away from the sun.
I took 4 sets of tinted safety goggles (glasses), modified into 1, it consists of 4 lenses infront of each eye , works perfectly , a clear white perfect circular sun. .
+chris crous Chris, I'd be careful.. You state "tinted safety glasses. are they UV blocking? While it is generally acceptable now to use welders glasses, I'd be skeptical of any cobbled together stack of regular tinted glasses. there are Mylar sun viewing glasses but the least expensive and safest method is a simple pinhole as described in many other videos and writings. Be careful!
Dont do it. You may think nothing happened when you're in the midst of watching, but you'll start noticing some vision damage after a few hours. Please do some research! Don't lose the opportunity of witnessing every single morning.
please don't take any risks: there are no pain receptors in the retina so you may not think you're doing damage, but you are. You can actually burn your retina. NEVER look directly at the sun.
I just realized what I've been doing wrong! I like to look at the sun with my Newtonian telescope projected onto paper, but I was using eypieces cuasing them to melt LOL
When I was young I looked at the sun directly for probably like 45 sec.... 10 times... over 20 yrs... Can't see shet unless clouds are around it anyways..
We watched 12 different vids on how to do this. This one was by FAR the very best, most informative and only one to demo the binoculars. Thank you!
Your binoculars technique worked great for the eclipse!
Heat buildup can be a problem with some oculars. My binocs are decent but inexpensive and 23 years old. I also only use this technique for a minute or so. Gives them time to cool off.
If you are at all nervous; then do not try it. Go for the pinhole camera.
Thanks! Can't wait to try this out on Monday!
I remember doing this with binoculars to watch the transit of Venus. Afterwards my binoculars wouldn't focus properly. Turns out the glue holding the prism melted. Cheap binoculars so didn't matter. I watched a partial eclipse of the sun with another pair of better binoculars and had no issues. What a great video to show a low-cost approach to viewing the sun!
in this saturday we´ll the eclipse visible in Brazil. Thanks for quick tips
This video helped me make a pinhole projector for the eclipse on Aug 21, and I was so pleased it worked out well! I am in Canada so it wasn't the full eclipse, but it was really neat to see a crescent sun projected in the box. I used the long box projector style, and tried the flat cardboard piece with paper on the ground just to try a different technique. I got some pretty neat pics of my projected image :D
I'm glad it worked.
I'm glad some algorithm brought me here. Had only found method 1 prior to the June 2021 eclipse. That was okay, but now tested the method 3 with a cheap smartphone zoom lense (for a random comment viewer: never look directly at the sun with naked eye or any optical device!), and that would've been so nice for viewing the eclipse. Big thank you
for the great video!
Thanks for such a informative vid.
Thank you , thank you, thank you finally clear explanation. I can watch the eclipse. Greetings from Switzerland, where glasses are not found!
heat buildup can be a problem. My binocs are decent but inexpensive (and 23 years old), and I only use them for a minute or so at a time. If you are at all nervous; don't try it.
👍👍
I saw eclipse projected on a wall through gaps in tree leaves!
There was a question that asked if the blocking cardboard is needed ? Yes, it is. You are trying to project the Sun's image and it is easier if you have a shadow to contrast it.
*****
dziękuję !
hey! Great am learning lots from your videos!
It works very well with the binoculars. Can't wait until tomorrow
s. Powell Wouldn't The Binoculars Make It Brighter?
Thomas: take a look at the video. You don't look through the binocs, you project the image from the binocs onto a shaded piece of paper. The image will be magnified. You'll be able to see sun spots and the moon's shadow moving across the face of the sun.
Al Murray it's a sun simulator
thank for this video!!! It helped me enjoy the eclipse today!!!
Glad you got to see it. Which method did you use and were you able to take any photos? If so, please let us know where you were when you took them. (sunrise is just coming up here in Massachusetts)
Al Murray well, i used the second method, only it was a much smaller cardboard. Still, the projection of the sun was very clear and enjoyable. I watched the eclipe in athens, greece,so it was a partial eclipse.
Thank you!
I wonder if there is a risk of damaging binocular optics when pointed at the sun... All that energy going through the glass mostly spills out the back, but there must be a small amount of waste heat generated. Did you see any evidence for flaking coating after doing that?
yes, there is a risk. My binocs aren't very expensive and I only point them towards the sun for a few moments at a time.
There is a LOT of built up heat and glued components can easily melt.
With a box that big, I would probably use something bigger than a pin, such as the tip pf a pen. I use a pin for a shoebox or cerealbox viewer.(the hole size varies with the size of the box.)
It is a trade off. The smaller the pin hole, the better focus you get, even at long distances. the larger the hole, the brighter your image will be but it will be fuzzy and out of focus.
Curious about the magnified technique. Wondering if aimed at the sun for more than a few seconds might build high heat in the ocular..
Not sure I want to risk my FMT-SX fujis
simple and helpful, thank you. :)
Thank you so much! Will be doing these activities with my students!
Instead of using binocular lenses, could I use a magnifying glass instead?
sure, if you have a really, really long path to your target. The Pinhole gives me a 1/3" target at 24" distance. You can plug in the lens equation for s simple convex lens, you'll need several dozen feet. The 2nd lens on the binocs helps bring this to a manageable length.
Enjoyed the video! We've built a projector with a 3/4 inch punched hole. Will be interesting to see how much of the sun will be blocked out in north Texas.
dear the Sci Life: as a back up, I'd make some foil overlay with actual pin-sized holes. I think your 3/4" holes are way too large. It will be hard to focus the light. The idea of a camera obscura or pinhole projector is to only allow parallel light in from an object at infinity and to then focus that light on your target. More light will make for a brighter image but that light will be blurred across your target. The holes I used were from a paperclip. For small holes with a pin, a ragged edge is less likely than with larger tools as you found out.
If Sunday turns out sunny, give your projectors a tryout. You can adjust the pinholes and the length of the boxes as needed.
Have a blast with the kids!
BTW: in the Dallas/Ft Worth area (not sure where in N Texas you are) the eclipse will be about 75%, which is better than the 68% I'll be getting here in Massachusetts. I'm making a few pinhole projectors out of mailing tubes and one eyepiece projector to take to work on Monday.
Thanks Al! Hmm I've got that feeling like we may have messed something up. The good news is we've actually made 3 different versions, one of which being a true pinhole size (well thumb tack). If you get a chance, check out our video where we tested with a phone camera light, and let me know what you think.
75% huh... that sounds promising! We thought briefly about heading up north but we've already made that drive once this summer. Will have to in 2024 :)
I saw the video, the problem with a cell phone camera, or any terrestrial light source is that the rays aren't parallel as the rays from stellar objects (starts/the sun) are. Any divergent light (flash, incandescent or LED) will not satisfy the parallel lines needed to test out a lens.
the "real" pin point hole will give nice crisp image at the tradeoff of being dimmer dimmer. I used 24" (61cm) mailing tubes this year with a tiny pinhole, the image is only about .5cm across. the ratio will be about the same, to get a 1cm image, the tube will need to be 120cm long.
I setup my eyepiece projector today (binocs on a tripod) and got a decent 10.5cm image.
Good luck and clear skies.
Thank I enjoy.
Just tried this...I did not see sun spots :(
Through the Telescope! Maybe there were no sunspots that day
Hi, we are entering a period of Solar Minimum so there may not be any sunspots on any given day. Check here spaceweather.com/ and look for the "Daily Sun" feature to see if there are any sunspots.
What if you used black paper instead of white
For the target?
The light would be absorbed and the image would be dark. Think of projector screens, they are white to reflect light back towards you.
Ok that does make sense
Joel. No , no fire. As you can see I carefully focused the image on white paper.
did you point the back end of the binos at the sun?
yes (i'm pretty sure)
Will this work to view the Eclipse in the US this summer??
Dave: Absolutely.
another safe method is to purchase "eclipse glasses" but only from a reputable source.
www.telescope.com/Accessories/Telescope-Eyepiece-Filters/Orion-Solar-Eclipse-Safe-Viewing-Glasses-5-Pack/c/3/sc/48/p/116532.uts
or
myscienceshop.com/product/gift/81037
Finally, I can try your technique with binoculars Aug 21.
I'll do it on Jun 21
2020
Be very careful using eyepiece projection with telescopes. The focused rays from the sun will be very bright and very hot. Only use a refractor, never a reflector. Aiming is more difficult and the temptation to just take a peek can overwhelm safety.
Look for a video on a solar funnel. A very safe method of telescopic solar projection. I may build one later this summer.
I think I did saw directly to the sun, in fact many times..and I'm okay.. Could I ask you..? Can my eyes be used to see the sun, and won't be hurt ever?
+devaldy nathan NO, emphatically NO. please use indirect viewing or a certified sunsafe viewing aid
+Al Murray Oh Okay.. Thanks.. :)
I'm bored this vid found me .my life is complete
there was a question regarding which end of the binoculars to point towards the sun:
stick the objective (large lens) through the cardboard and point that towards the sun. project through the eyepiece onto the paper.
again, NEVER look at the sun, especially through binoculars or a telescope.
This is useful for this Friday :D
can i replace the aluminium foil into another thing, maybe? if yes, could you tell me what is that?
Sure. Anything that is sturdy but will allow you to poke a hole will do. The cardboard itself gives a ragged edge. Foil is easiest but may not be available where you live.
+Al Murray thank you very much, your video and your reply helped me so much, i'm from indonesia (the country which can see eclipse in 2016) that's why your video is very useful :^D
Dear Mega,
I'm glad you found this useful
How was the eclipse?
-Al
Him: warns people about looking at the sun
Me: Immune to getting eyes damaged
InTrEsTiNg
Can I watch it with sunglasses will that'll be safe??
NO! Sunglasses only block a small percentage of the sunlight. Approved solar glasses block close to 99% and allow you to only see the sun. The brightness should be reduced to about what you'd see when looking at the full moon.
Why white paper Al? Why not black paper?
Blue StarFractal
I use white paper to see the solar disk. Black paper would not reflect very well.
Thanks Al for responding!
By the way Al, I project the Sun's image using binoculars because I don't own a telescope.
What I see is a pale yellow disk,especially when looking back and forth between the white paper for contrast. Is that what you see with your telescope with its higher magnification ?
I won't pester you with any more questions Al!
Blue StarFractal
I use my 7x35 binoculars
Then do you see what I see Al? ( pale yellow dot?)
My binoculars are 7x35 too.
Also,why is projecting safe? Don't UV-rays get reflected off of the paper too?
As you can see in the movie, I see a 1-2" bright white disk withe sunspots clearly defined.
as I understand reflection, the light penetrates several layers of the paper, the shorter UV wavelengths penetrate more deeply and are mostly absorbed while the white light is partly absorbed and partly reflected.
thanks.m4v
cant u just watch through your phones camera
I don't think that would be a safe idea.
1) you'll probably damage your camera as the concentrated light will saturate and cook the CCD.
2) the camera body doesn't provide much protection from teh sun; it is easy to accidentally look past the camera and into ye sun. The methods I recommend have you looking away from the sun.
I took 4 sets of tinted safety goggles (glasses), modified into 1, it consists of 4 lenses infront of each eye , works perfectly , a clear white perfect circular sun. .
+chris crous Chris, I'd be careful.. You state "tinted safety glasses. are they UV blocking? While it is generally acceptable now to use welders glasses, I'd be skeptical of any cobbled together stack of regular tinted glasses.
there are Mylar sun viewing glasses but the least expensive and safest method is a simple pinhole as described in many other videos and writings. Be careful!
ill take the risk
Dont do it. You may think nothing happened when you're in the midst of watching, but you'll start noticing some vision damage after a few hours. Please do some research! Don't lose the opportunity of witnessing every single morning.
please don't take any risks: there are no pain receptors in the retina so you may not think you're doing damage, but you are. You can actually burn your retina.
NEVER look directly at the sun.
MY IDEA : OPEN SELFIE CAMERA IN MOBILE AND POINT AT THE SUN... SIMPLE
Simply say goodbye to your cellphone camera.
Thanks for this video, I wonder if the Lidl (auriol) binoculars would survive this....
SQA engineer
I just realized what I've been doing wrong! I like to look at the sun with my Newtonian telescope projected onto paper, but I was using eypieces cuasing them to melt LOL
rip them eyepieces
When I was young I looked at the sun directly for probably like 45 sec.... 10 times... over 20 yrs...
Can't see shet unless clouds are around it anyways..
SUPERVISE KIDS! when you use the binocular type projector, because kids will look at almost anything.
good idea, especially when looking at the sun. even without magnification.
MyNigga.jpg
Just buy a solar filter for a telescope.
...IF you own a telescope.
Earth is flat
TOTAL FAIL
sorry iy didn't work out. we had intermittent clouds here but decent viewing during the sunny bits.
The binocular technique worked great for me!