APOD: A Total Solar Eclipse over Wyoming (2024 Apr 07)

[APOD Robot]

A Total Solar Eclipse over Wyoming

Explanation: Will the sky be clear enough to see the eclipse? This question is already on the minds of many North Americans hoping to see tomorrow's solar eclipse. This question was also on the mind of many people attempting to see the total solar eclipse that crossed North America in August 2017. Then, the path of total darkness shot across the mainland of the USA from coast to coast, from Oregon to South Carolina -- but, like tomorrow's event, a partial eclipse occurred above most of North America. Unfortunately, in 2017, many locations saw predominantly clouds. One location that did not was a bank of the Green River Lakes, Wyoming. Intermittent clouds were far enough away to allow the center image of the featured composite sequence to be taken, an image that shows the corona of the Sun extending out past the central dark Moon that blocks our familiar Sun. The surrounding images show the partial phases of the solar eclipse both before and after totality.

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[johnnydeep]

So, I'm too late to get either solar glasses or other eclipse viewing paraphernalia (I'm only in a 95% totality band anyway), but if I was interested in getting something to use with binoculars in the future, what's the best choice? I know there are specialty "solar-only" binoculars with built-in and usually unremovable solar filters - the "Celeston – EclipSmart Safe" line is one example (*) - but are there cheaper ready-made solar filters you can easily and safely use with regular binoculars?

(*) see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8J6UTF

[Christian G.]

So, I'm too late to get either solar glasses or other eclipse viewing paraphernalia (I'm only in a 95% totality band anyway), but if I was interested in getting something to use with binoculars in the future, what's the best choice? I know there are specialty "solar-only" binoculars with built-in and usually unremovable solar filters - the "Celeston – EclipSmart Safe" line is one example (*) - but are there cheaper ready-made solar filters you can easily and safely use with regular binoculars?

(*) see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8J6UTF

I’m no expert but I do enjoy my binoculars and regularly look at the Sun with these two filters, and no eye damage so far! The first one gives the Sun an orangy colour, the other is white, I like to alternate.
https://thousandoaksoptical.com/shop/so ... e-polymer/
https://www.kendrickastro.com/solarfilters.html

[Badbubble]

Jonhnnydeep,

Don't give up on getting solar glasses yet. I have been told that some convenience stores and libraries have them. Your favorite astronomy club may be able to help you get them.

[zendae]

So, I'm too late to get either solar glasses or other eclipse viewing paraphernalia (I'm only in a 95% totality band anyway), but if I was interested in getting something to use with binoculars in the future, what's the best choice? I know there are specialty "solar-only" binoculars with built-in and usually unremovable solar filters - the "Celeston – EclipSmart Safe" line is one example (*) - but are there cheaper ready-made solar filters you can easily and safely use with regular binoculars?

(*) see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8J6UTF

I made a pinhole camera for the 1963 partial eclipse, and while it was a once-removed viewing, it was still fun.
But, my friend and I also decided on something else concurrently (and against my father's orders): we held a candle up to a broken piece of glass, and for so long that it became too black to see anything through. We rubbed it off until we could finally see the event. We still were - ahem - "careful" though: no more than a second or so at a time.

I should have safely absconded with that glass, but alas, dad found it when he returned from work. Well, it was 1963, and dad was a WWII naval officer, so you know what happened next. But it was still worth it lol...

[johnnydeep]

Jonhnnydeep,

Don't give up on getting solar glasses yet. I have been told that some convenience stores and libraries have them. Your favorite astronomy club may be able to help you get them.

True. Thanks for the reminder!

[johnnydeep]

So, I'm too late to get either solar glasses or other eclipse viewing paraphernalia (I'm only in a 95% totality band anyway), but if I was interested in getting something to use with binoculars in the future, what's the best choice? I know there are specialty "solar-only" binoculars with built-in and usually unremovable solar filters - the "Celeston – EclipSmart Safe" line is one example (*) - but are there cheaper ready-made solar filters you can easily and safely use with regular binoculars?

(*) see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8J6UTF

I’m no expert but I do enjoy my binoculars and regularly look at the Sun with these two filters, and no eye damage so far! The first one gives the Sun an orangy colour, the other is white, I like to alternate.
https://thousandoaksoptical.com/shop/so ... e-polymer/
https://www.kendrickastro.com/solarfilters.html

Wow - those filters are more expensive than those dedicated Celestron EclpSmart binosculars! But they are perhaps more useful since they can be used for different binoculars (of similar size).

[johnnydeep]

So, I'm too late to get either solar glasses or other eclipse viewing paraphernalia (I'm only in a 95% totality band anyway), but if I was interested in getting something to use with binoculars in the future, what's the best choice? I know there are specialty "solar-only" binoculars with built-in and usually unremovable solar filters - the "Celeston – EclipSmart Safe" line is one example (*) - but are there cheaper ready-made solar filters you can easily and safely use with regular binoculars?

(*) see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8J6UTF

I made a pinhole camera for the 1963 partial eclipse, and while it was a once-removed viewing, it was still fun.
But, my friend and I also decided on something else concurrently (and against my father's orders): we held a candle up to a broken piece of glass, and for so long that it became too black to see anything through. We rubbed it off until we could finally see the event. We still were - ahem - "careful" though: no more than a second or so at a time.

I should have safely absconded with that glass, but alas, dad found it when he returned from work. Well, it was 1963, and dad was a WWII naval officer, so you know what happened next. But it was still worth it lol...

Interesting. Is there something special about "soot on glass" that makes if good for viewing the Sun, beyond just "being dark"?

[zendae]

So, I'm too late to get either solar glasses or other eclipse viewing paraphernalia (I'm only in a 95% totality band anyway), but if I was interested in getting something to use with binoculars in the future, what's the best choice? I know there are specialty "solar-only" binoculars with built-in and usually unremovable solar filters - the "Celeston – EclipSmart Safe" line is one example (*) - but are there cheaper ready-made solar filters you can easily and safely use with regular binoculars?

(*) see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8J6UTF

I made a pinhole camera for the 1963 partial eclipse, and while it was a once-removed viewing, it was still fun.
But, my friend and I also decided on something else concurrently (and against my father's orders): we held a candle up to a broken piece of glass, and for so long that it became too black to see anything through. We rubbed it off until we could finally see the event. We still were - ahem - "careful" though: no more than a second or so at a time.

I should have safely absconded with that glass, but alas, dad found it when he returned from work. Well, it was 1963, and dad was a WWII naval officer, so you know what happened next. But it was still worth it lol...

Interesting. Is there something special about "soot on glass" that makes if good for viewing the Sun, beyond just "being dark"?

Posting late due to heavy workload. But, I think it is still not too safe even tho glass does reduce UV. Our irises are open so wide that giant amounts of UV still get in. But it looked great.

[Chris Peterson]

So, I'm too late to get either solar glasses or other eclipse viewing paraphernalia (I'm only in a 95% totality band anyway), but if I was interested in getting something to use with binoculars in the future, what's the best choice? I know there are specialty "solar-only" binoculars with built-in and usually unremovable solar filters - the "Celeston – EclipSmart Safe" line is one example (*) - but are there cheaper ready-made solar filters you can easily and safely use with regular binoculars?

(*) see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8J6UTF

I made a pinhole camera for the 1963 partial eclipse, and while it was a once-removed viewing, it was still fun.
But, my friend and I also decided on something else concurrently (and against my father's orders): we held a candle up to a broken piece of glass, and for so long that it became too black to see anything through. We rubbed it off until we could finally see the event. We still were - ahem - "careful" though: no more than a second or so at a time.

I should have safely absconded with that glass, but alas, dad found it when he returned from work. Well, it was 1963, and dad was a WWII naval officer, so you know what happened next. But it was still worth it lol...

Interesting. Is there something special about "soot on glass" that makes if good for viewing the Sun, beyond just "being dark"?

It is mechanically blocking the light with opaque particles, so it is doing a good job across the entire spectrum, including the IR and UV that dye-based filters may allow through. While such a filter is generally pretty safe for viewing the Sun (although I'd never use it at the entrance of a telescope or binocular), we generally advertise it as unsafe because there's no control. People will always get things wrong in trying to make such a filter. And since metallized film filters are so inexpensive and ubiquitous these days, there's really no reason to use anything else.

[johnnydeep]

I made a pinhole camera for the 1963 partial eclipse, and while it was a once-removed viewing, it was still fun.
But, my friend and I also decided on something else concurrently (and against my father's orders): we held a candle up to a broken piece of glass, and for so long that it became too black to see anything through. We rubbed it off until we could finally see the event. We still were - ahem - "careful" though: no more than a second or so at a time.

I should have safely absconded with that glass, but alas, dad found it when he returned from work. Well, it was 1963, and dad was a WWII naval officer, so you know what happened next. But it was still worth it lol...

Interesting. Is there something special about "soot on glass" that makes if good for viewing the Sun, beyond just "being dark"?

It is mechanically blocking the light with opaque particles, so it is doing a good job across the entire spectrum, including the IR and UV that dye-based filters may allow through. While such a filter is generally pretty safe for viewing the Sun (although I'd never use it at the entrance of a telescope or binocular), we generally advertise it as unsafe because there's no control. People will always get things wrong in trying to make such a filter. And since metallized film filters are so inexpensive and ubiquitous these days, there's really no reason to use anything else.

Thanks.

[johnnydeep]

I made a pinhole camera for the 1963 partial eclipse, and while it was a once-removed viewing, it was still fun.
But, my friend and I also decided on something else concurrently (and against my father's orders): we held a candle up to a broken piece of glass, and for so long that it became too black to see anything through. We rubbed it off until we could finally see the event. We still were - ahem - "careful" though: no more than a second or so at a time.

I should have safely absconded with that glass, but alas, dad found it when he returned from work. Well, it was 1963, and dad was a WWII naval officer, so you know what happened next. But it was still worth it lol...

Interesting. Is there something special about "soot on glass" that makes if good for viewing the Sun, beyond just "being dark"?

Posting late due to heavy workload. But, I think it is still not too safe even tho glass does reduce UV. Our irises are open so wide that giant amounts of UV still get in. But it looked great.

Giant amounts? As Chris said in the reply after yours, the soot would still be effective at blocking ALL wavelengths, so as long as there's enough soot it should be safe (though with Chris' caveat about it being easy to get wrong and in so doing cause permanent retinal damage).