Pinhole Viewer for the Partial Solar Eclipse 34
Jet City Orange writes: "I made a quickie pinhole solar viewer to observe the recent partial solar eclipse. And then I photographed the whole thing with my digital camera. Homebrew astrophotography right here in West Seattle."
Cool (Score:1)
Thanks for the pics... (Score:1)
Re:Thanks for the pics... (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Thanks for the pics... (Score:2)
Hopefully later, I'll add a bit of commentary on what time each photo was taken (you can look at the EXIF data for that information). I'm located in Southern California (San Diego) and all pictures were taken with my Cannon Powershot S30 digital Camera through a set of sun-watching glasses I picked up at the local astronomy store.
http://homepage.mac.com/smitty825/solareclipse/ [mac.com]
A slightly more advanced method (Score:4, Informative)
My method for safely observing the eclipse was to use a monocular (you could easily use binoculars as well, just use one half of 'em) to project the image onto a piece of stiff white tagboard. It allows a larger and clearer picture (I was able to actually see what I believe were sunspots, as they didn't change when I moved the image around!). Simply line up the monocular with the sun by making the shadow end-on, with the main lens towards the sun. Then, move the eyepiece close to the tagboard. Find the white dot, then move the monocular out and focus it by trial and error. It took me about a minute to set up, and I got a nice clear image of the sun that would have been about an inch in diameter, assuming it didn't have a big bite taken out of it ;-).
One saftey note: never look directly at the sun, whether it's through the monocular or with the naked eye. While it seems like you might never do it, I almost did several times, as it seemed so much easier than trying to get the little projected image in focus on the paper. Please, be careful with your eyes. Cyborg-vision is still a long way off.
Re:A slightly more advanced method (Score:2)
Re:A slightly more advanced method (Score:2)
A year or so ago we had a partial solar eclipse visible here in Maryland. On a local evening news report they had a story about how the students at one school had all made pinhole viewers so they could safely watch the eclipse.
They showed video of several dozen students, and a few teachers, looking directly at the sun through their pinholes.
I checked the next evening's news for a story about several dozen students with spot-burns on their retinas. Guess they got lucky...
Stupid weather... (Score:2)
Re:Stupid weather... (Score:1)
Here in Cleveland it was perfectly clear skies ALL DAY LONG. I drove my Jeep up to Lake Erie, found a nice place to view the sunset on the lake, and then about a half hour before sunset: the clouds rolled in and blocked everything.
Re:That's just brillant (Score:1)
First Non-sequitor post I guess. hehe
More good Pics.. (Score:3, Informative)
http://images.fbrtech.com/tora/proj/eclipse/
Re:More good Pics.. (Score:1)
Forgot to mention that said pictures on the above are of the monocular method, where indeed a sunspot is visible in one of the photographs.
Here's the Link [fbrtech.com] again.
Represent in West Seattle (Score:2)
I used a political campaign sign (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I used a political campaign sign (Score:2)
Here's another tool that you might like to try. (Score:1)
At this point, you should have two rolls, one slightly larger than the other, each with one end covered with different materials.
Insert the wax paper end of the smaller tube into the open end of the larger tube. Then poke a hole through the end of the larger tube's covered end, using a pin.
You can look directly at the sun *without* any risks or problems, on a normal day. To focus, just move the smaller tube in and out like telescope. You can use whatever rolls you want, but you will have to have something stiff enough to maintain the shape.
Just to be sure that we are on the same wave length, the wax paper end should act as a "viewing screen" for what comes through the pin hole.
Hope this helps.
Re:Here's another tool that you might like to try. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Here's another tool that you might like to try. (Score:1)
Also, I followed the link. You mentioned that the contrast was good, but the resolution isn't as good. I think that the wax paper did the trick with resolution, because it would be a smooth surface. I'd be interested in following up with this.
On a very unrelated note, I remember that I never got to make this device in school, while my friends got to make them because they were in a different class. Perhaps the public schools would be wise to teach classes slightly different things every other year, with the assumption that siblings are one year apart and that they will share the project results with their siblings. Just a thought off the top of my head.
Re:Here's another tool that you might like to try. (Score:1)
Some snapshots http://golem.best.vwh.net (Score:1)
They aren't images of the projected sun or sun through a glass (darkly?) but of the effect of the crescent sun on dappled shade. There was one really nice image I missed because by the time I got home from work, the peak was well past. It's a fun phenomenon to look for during an eclipse.
http://golem.best.vwh.net
Re:Some snapshots http://golem.best.vwh.net (Score:2)
Thank you for the post!
Binoculars (Score:1)
At 6:15 or so I could clearly see the 75% occlusal.
Good thing my drive home is south/east so I didn't have to avoid looking out the window on the way home!
Why does his make slashdot (Score:1)
The fact that people think this is cool just says something about the state of the education system in whatever countries they are from that they managed to get this far in life never having heard of pin-hole photography.
Jerry-rigged or jury-rigged? (Score:2)
A guy named Jerry created that pinhole viewer page and made a little joke about 'jerry-rigging' something. Cute. But I've always understood the term to be 'jury-rigged'. So I did a minimal amount of net research. Earliest reference to 'jerry-rigged' I could find was 1919, while the Oxford English Dictionary shows 'jury-rigged' from 1788 (and 'jury-mast' and other uses of 'jury' for a temporary replacement for a damaged part of a ship as far back as 1616.) Jerry-rigged may be a recent variant, playing off the name 'Jerry' (war slang for German), implying substandard German quality. I'll stick with 'jury-rigged'.
CD-Rom based viewer (Score:1)
Re:CD-Rom based viewer (Score:2)
They don't call me One-Eye-Jack for nothing! (Score:1)
Re:use a floppy diskette (Score:1)