The day of the 2024 total solar eclipse is here, and you may be among the millions of Americans scrambling to get a glimpse of the moment the moon completely blocks the sun.
The safest way to watch the solar eclipse is with special glasses because it can damage your eyes to look directly at the sun. But with the rare phenomenon expected to start this afternoon, if you haven’t purchased any of the recommended glasses, you may think you’ve missed your chance.
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Luckily, it’s possibly to safely watch the solar eclipse without eclipse glasses. Here are a few of the best ways to do so.
How to watch the eclipse without glasses
Taken from a few expert sources, here are a few easy ways to watch the solar eclipse if you don’t have the special glasses.
Make a pinhole projector
You can make a pinhole camera to watch the eclipse instead of using glasses with a few materials you probably have lying around your home, according to the Planetary Society.
To start, go outside and find a good spot to view the eclipse. Ideally, when the eclipse becomes visible in your area, you’ll want to be able to see the shadow of your head and shoulders and nothing else in this spot.
Then, take two pieces of card stock (or a paper plate) and use a pushpin to punch a hole in the middle of one of the cards. If you’re interested in doing something more elaborate, you can punch multiple holes in the card in the shape of a design, like a star or heart.
To use it to view the eclipse, go to a place where you can see your shadow. With your back to the sun, hold up the card with the hole(s) in the one hand and the card without the holes in the other. Place the card with the holes above your shoulder and the hole-less card a few feet behind it so you can see the shadow of the card with the hole on it.
The light in the middle of the shadow is the sun, so when the eclipse is visible in your area, the card with the hole will project it onto the other…
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