On April 8, a solar eclipse will be visible throughout most of the United States. People within a 124-mile-wide band in Ohio will experience a total eclipse, while much of the rest of the state experiences a partial eclipse.

Whether you’re in the path of totality or expecting to see a partial eclipse, be sure to follow NASA and American Astronomical Society (AAS) guidelines to protect your eyes during this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.

Eclipse Glasses or Handheld Viewers

When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes, look through safe eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer at all times.

• Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and must comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. While NASA does not approve any particular brand of solar viewers, the AAS maintains a list of suppliers of safe solar viewers and filters.
• Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the viewer.
• If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put your eclipse glasses on over them or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.
• Always inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use. If torn, scratched or otherwise damaged, discard the device.
• Always supervise children using solar viewers.

Cameras, Telescopes and Other Optical Devices

You must attach a special-purpose solar filter over the front of optical devices such as a camera lens, binoculars or a telescope. This includes mobile phone cameras. Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter on these optical devices.

Your eyes will be instantly and severely damaged if you view any part of the bright sun through these devices without a properly attached solar filter. Likewise, do not look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewer – the concentrated solar rays could damage the filter and enter your eyes, causing serious injury.

The AAS offers guidelines for taking images and video of the eclipse.

Pinhole Projector

If you don’t have eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can use an indirect viewing method that does not involve looking directly at the sun. One option is a pinhole projector, which has a small opening (for example, a hole punched in an index card) and projects an image of the sun onto a nearby surface. With the sun at your back, you can then safely view the projected image. Do NOT look at the sun through the pinhole!

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology provides directions for making a pinhole camera. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio provides instructions, as well.

During the Eclipse

Follow these guidelines during the eclipse:

• View the sun through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer during the partial eclipse phases before and after totality.
• You can view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection only when the moon completely obscures the sun’s bright face – during the brief and spectacular period known as totality. You’ll know it’s safe when you can no longer see any part of the sun through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer.
• As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright sun reappear after totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the sun.

If you watch an entire eclipse, you may be in direct sunlight for hours. Remember to wear sunscreen, a hat and protective clothing to prevent skin damage. For more details, visit NASA’s web page on Total Solar Eclipse Safety.

You can also tune in to the AultCaring Conversations podcast about the solar eclipse! Dr. Jean Paddock, president of Aultman College, and Dr. Hope Badawy, assistant professor of biology, share details about this exciting astronomical event including how a total solar eclipse occurs, the types and stages of an eclipse and safe viewing practices.

Sources:
Solar Eclipse Across America, AAS
Total Solar Eclipse Safety, NASA