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Pinhole Projector for Safe Solar Viewing

This document provides instructions for creating a pinhole camera out of a shoe box or mailing tube to safely observe the sun. The instructions are: (1) Cut a hole in one end and cover it with aluminum foil, then poke a small hole in the foil. (2) Tape paper to the opposite end to project the image. (3) Cut a viewing slot on the side. (4) Point the pinhole end at the sun to project a magnified solar image inside for safe viewing. This simple pinhole camera allows observing solar eclipses without looking directly at the sun.

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Dileepa Suraweera
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83 views1 page

Pinhole Projector for Safe Solar Viewing

This document provides instructions for creating a pinhole camera out of a shoe box or mailing tube to safely observe the sun. The instructions are: (1) Cut a hole in one end and cover it with aluminum foil, then poke a small hole in the foil. (2) Tape paper to the opposite end to project the image. (3) Cut a viewing slot on the side. (4) Point the pinhole end at the sun to project a magnified solar image inside for safe viewing. This simple pinhole camera allows observing solar eclipses without looking directly at the sun.

Uploaded by

Dileepa Suraweera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

3.

10
A Safe Way to Observe the Sun
PINHOLE PROJECTION IN A BOX

Paper

View port

Pinhole
(point hole toward Sun when viewing)
Aluminum foil

1. Use a shoe box or a long cylindrical or triangular tube that a mailing


service might use to mail rolled up posters or prints. The longer the Safety note:
box, the bigger the image will be. To make a longer box, you can tape Looking directly
together two boxes and just remove the dividing wall between them. at the Sun is
dangerous to
2. Now cut a hole in one end of the box and tape a piece of aluminum foil
your eyes, so
over the hole. don’t try viewing
3. With a pin, make a small hole in the middle of the aluminum foil. the Sun without
your teacher’s
4. Tape a piece of white paper to the opposite end of the box. This is where
guidance.
the image will be.

5. Cut a large rectangular hole on one side of the box so you can look at
the image projected from the pinhole to the opposite side (see diagram). If the shoe box has no
cover, the open side can be your viewing portal.

6. Stand with the Sun behind you. Point the pinhole end of the box toward the Sun until, looking
through the opening on the side, you see an image of the Sun on the opposite end from the
pinhole. The longer the box is, the larger the image of the Sun will be.

7. Be careful not to look at the Sun! The idea is to have the pinhole pointing at the Sun and your
eyes pointing at the image in the opposite direction.

8. This method doesn’t show you much detail, but it is useful during a partial eclipse to see the
“bite” the Moon takes out of the Sun.

254 NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

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