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How can you watch solar eclipse through naked eyes with safety gear ?

How can you watch solar eclipse through naked eyes with safety gear ?

Solar eclipse can be watched directly through naked eyes using Solar glasses, Pin-hole projector, Solar Binocular or telescope with proper reliable UV protection

India will witness solar eclipse tomorrow, starting at 9.50 AM which would be first visible in Rajasthan. Viewing Solar eclipse event with naked eye can cause blindness or irreversible damage due to ability of harmful UV rays burning the retina. Still there are several ways through which we can view solar eclipse event using naked eyes. These methods include using gears like UV protection google, solar telescope, solar pinhole camera or specially designed solar telescopes or binoculars. Still, before using any gear, it is advisable to check whether it is genuine and it works.

Majority of viewers and enthusiast tend to prefer solar glasses, which are comfortable and easy to wear. Solar eyeglasses are usualy made up of glass, polycarbonate or plastic and are usually 100000 times darker. Filter on glass is usually a polymer mixed with aluminium or some other material for UV filtration. Solar binocular or Solar telescope are rarely used due to cost and availability, but they can provide much better view. Few people also use pinhole camera, which are available in market but can be unsafe, as not everyone is ISO certified. Few adventurous souls also build pin-hole projector by placing paper few inches behind cardboard with a hole. Pinhole projector is a safe method, but experts tend to differ about efficacy and usually comment about increased probability of viewing sun directly for cardboard adjustment, which might damage the retina.

Precautions while viewing through solar eye glass by International Standard Organisation for safe viewing of solar eclipse:-

  • Not more then 0.00032 percent of sun-light should pass through filter
  • Should be large enough to cover both eyes
  • Manufacturer information including safety and usage instructions should be visible on gear

It is also advisable to cross check and follow instruction from local standard organisation, based on country where you reside in or any official government notification related to solar eclipse.

 

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