When a solar eclipse nears, many people get ready for the big event. You may wish to throw a party or promote your business with custom solar eclipse glasses. However, substitutions can be dangerous. There are several false beliefs about homemade viewers, and here are four of them to know about.
1. Standard Sunglasses
Just about everyone has a pair of sunglasses on hand. However, just because they are dark does not mean they protect your eyes like approved solar eclipse glasses. You should never stare directly into the sun with normal sunglasses. There is a good reason you feel pain when you look at the sun through sunglasses.
2. Photo Film Negatives
Although old fashion camera film has been replaced with digital cameras, there are still a lot of old photo negatives around. Film negatives are very dark and can shade your eyes. Yet, they cannot protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet light.
3. Tinted Glass
Many cars today have tinted glass. Tinting makes it easier to drive in bright sunlight. But you can safely watch a solar eclipse from the comfort of your car without approved solar eclipse glasses. Smoked or tinted glass does not filter out harmful sunlight.
4. Homemade Safe Viewers
If you like, you can go online and learn all about making pinhole viewers. You can make a box from cardboard or even use a paper plate. The concept of pinhole viewers is quite simple. You create a small hole to funnel the image of the sun, and it casts the image upon a white surface. You can see the shadow of the eclipse, but it is not the same as looking directly at it.
You lose a lot with homemade viewers. A good pair of eclipse viewers do not cost much, and some businesses give them away with product promotions.
