How to Safely View a Solar Eclipse

Photographer: Till Credner
Summary Author: Till Credner

The photo above shows projected images of the eclipsed Sun on a gymnasium floor during last year's partial solar eclipse over northern Europe. My students passively observed this eclipse from inside the school by simply viewing the image of the Sun through gaps in window blinds in the darkened gymnasium. Each gap in the blind acted as a camera obscura, projecting an image of the eclipsed Sun on the floor. The inset photo shows the only safe way to directly observe a solar eclipse — using special eclipse glasses. Note that later today (March 8/9, 2016) a total solar eclipse occurs over a sliver of Indonesia, Malaysia and the western Pacific Ocean. Photos were taken on March 20, 2015, in conjunction with Astronomie-AG, at Progymnasium in Rosenfeld, Germany.

Photo Details: Top - Camera Maker: Apple; Camera Model: iPhone 4S; Lens: iPhone 4S back camera 4.28mm f/2.4; Focal Length: 4.28mm (35mm equivalent: 35mm); Aperture: ƒ/2.4; Exposure Time: 0.067 s (1/15); ISO equiv: 500; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS5.1 Windows. Bottom - same except: Exposure Time: 0.0020 s (1/502); ISO equiv: 50.

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