I can't tell you how excited I am that there will be a partial solar eclipse tomorrow morning. I have a warm place in my heart and perhaps more accurately my brain for science and cosmology and astrophysics more especially. The work of Stephen Hawking, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michio Kaku, and Brian Cox utterly fascinate me. I read A Brief History of Time three years ago and couldn't put it down. I've watched Cosmos both with Carl Sagan (with whom I share a birthday) and NdG. I honestly cannot get enough of the universe. I've said on a few occasions if there is a second life after this one, I hope to be an astrophysicist with a specialty to do with time. I probably sound quite quaint to actual experts in the field but I'm a serious fan girl.
That being said when I found out I would be able to see a partial solar eclipse I was ecstatic. There has only been one other occasion for me to see a solar eclipse and that time my hopes were dashed, not by inclement weather or severe illness. No, my hopes were dashed by my fifth grade teacher.
Yes. I will let that sink in for a moment.
I was ten years old and I can still remember the palpable anticipation in the air. It was all over the news. This was to be a once in a lifetime event, something that wouldn't happen for a long time to come. Our whole school was buzzing with excitement. Teachers were throwing out the curriculum in favour of teaching solar science, classes were busy crafting pinhole viewers in order to safely view the event. That is, every class except for mine. My teacher had, in an almost pathological way, refused to acknowledge anything having to do with the impending cosmological phenomenon. She got angry whenever one of us asked if we would be making viewers or if we could go and watch.
I'll never forget the morning of the eclipse. My older brother, Jimmy had handed me a magnifying glass and a piece of paper and showed me how to use them to see the eclipse. I stowed them in my backpack in case Mrs. Nastypants changed her mind. I remember getting to school and showing my friend and both of us hoping we might have the chance to use them.
That afternoon we heard all of the classes passing by our room heading outside with their viewers in hand. I looked at the clock and realised it had already started. One of the boys went to the window trying to see and our teacher brutally told him to get back in his seat. We were all quiet, disappointed, and deeply unhappy. I've never forgiven her for that day. I dare say no one in that class has.
But enough of sad stories. Twenty-one years later, I finally got to make my own pinhole viewer and tomorrow morning, weather permitting, I'm going to get my chance to see an event of cosmic proportions. In celebration of this, please enjoy the following tutorial so you can make your own pinhole viewer.
How to Make a (MOST ENGLISH) Pinhole Viewer
What you will need:
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You will need an empty tea box (this is what makes it English). I used Tesco finest brand Earl Grey to give my viewer that touch of finery, but even a box of PG Tips will do the trick. Some kitchen foil, white paper, a box cutter (that's the orange thing in the photo, it was the best I had), scissors, a needle (or push pin), and sellotape!
I find it also helps when doing crafty things to have a bottle of wine on hand.
Step 1: Pour a glass of wine. Step 2: Cut a hole in your tea box.
You want the hole to be about 3 x 3 cm (for you American crafters that's 3 x 3 cm. Come on, join the rest of the world and use the Metric system already).
Step 3: Cover the hole you've just made with foil. |
Tape the foil over the hole you just cut. If you are going for a sleeker looking viewer you can try taping the foil on the inside of the box, but seriously, who has time for that?
Step 4: Using a round needle or push pin, pierce the centre of the foil.
The sunlight will go through the hole and project onto the opposite side of the box. This is how you get to see the eclipse.
Step 5: Cut a piece of white paper to fit on the inside of your box.
The paper will act as a screen and only needs to be about 4 x 4 cm.
Step 6: Tape the paper to the inside of your box opposite to the end with the foil.
Not too much to say about this. Tape your paper to the inside and move on. No sense in wallowing in it.
Step 7: Cut a viewing hole near to the end where you've taped the paper.
You can see the paper through the hole I've just cut. This is how you will view the eclipse.
Step 8: Tape up the rest of the box.
I don't really have to explain this part, right?
Step 9: Congratulate yourself on making your very own pinhole viewer!
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| When you go to use it, line up the box using its shadow. You should see a tiny dot of light through the viewing hole. That it the sun! (Or in the case of this photo, my desk lamp.) You will be able to watch the moon cover the sun without turning your retinas to ashes. You're welcome. |
Well that's all there is to it! I'm hoping to be able to post an entry tomorrow about my triumphant solar eclipse viewing. Stay tuned and don't forget to look at the stars once in a while and dream a bit of the cosmos.
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