I built a pinhole projector last night with the hopes that the weather might clear up by Sunday here in South Florida and the kids next door can view it safely. We will only be able to see a partial eclipse here as will most of the US, but seeing something in front of the sun is always interesting.
This is one great way to view the show and the one below could be put together in about 15 minutes. Ideally, if I had another 12 pack, I would have made the projector longer for a larger image, but this will be fine.
Just for the record, it is possible to photograph the image on the projector’s screen and in the plans, we shall see what happens. If the weather cooperates, I will have the scope out but that is about a 1 in 10 chance right now.
Materials used in this projector and ready to go, 2 long boxes, aluminum foil and white paper. To put it together, clear packing tape, hot glue gun, scissors, and a sewing needle with a cork.
The hardest part of this project was drinking all that Pepsi.
Boxes are ready to join together and I used a hot glue gun. Glue was applied to the 4 tabs on the left box and then slid inside the box on the right. Reaching in through the viewing window it was easy to just press them in place. The tabs on the right box where then glued down one at a time to the box on the left and this made for a very sturdy joint.
The 2 12pack boxes are glued or taped together and a viewing window is cut with scissors as shown on the right end. The window should be about twice as long as it is wide because you will be looking at the inside end of the box at an angle.
Standing with your back to the sun, this is how the viewing window looks when the projector points back over your head towards the sun.
At the front of the projector cut out a small hole that will soon be covered by the aluminum foil with the pinhole.
Pinhole in aluminum foil made with a sewing needle. Use a piece of cork or cardboard as a firm surface behind the foil and then push the pin through the foil.
Aluminum foil with pinhole taped in place.
White paper added for viewing screen.
Finished Pinhole Projector
This will also be great for viewing the Venus transit of the Sun on June 5, 2012. I’m sure I can find an extra Pepsi box by then.
Important Warning
Never view the sun with the naked eye or with any optical device, such as a camera’s view finder, binoculars or a telescope! This will cause permanent damage to your eye. Magnifying the Sun in any way with any device and viewing by eye will cause that damage just that much faster.
Who gets to see any of the eclipse in North America?
Well if your like me you have heard the News about this upcoming event and that it is a must see. My News down here is touting it but fails to mention that it doesn’t even begin until after our sunset on Sunday. Not until you get into the nuts and bolts of this eclipse do you discover that this is primarily an event visible to the western US and only a small viewing area in the US will get a chance to see the actual annular eclipse.
That being the case here is a very good map of who will get to see something. Events of this nature are almost always pretty much limited to various parts of the globe and serious observers plan vacations around these events.
Cleveland Area View for Anna
This is a 3 image simulation of the partial eclipse for 5-20-2012 as viewed from Cleveland, Ohio. The green border at the bottom of the images is the horizon. The red horizontal line is 2 degrees Altitude (0=Horizon) and the red vertical line is the Azimuth (Compass Heading) of 297 degrees. The times in EDT for the 3 images are 8:24PM, 8:30PM and 8:36PM with the Sun setting (Sun moves below the horizon) at 8:44PM.
Fort Worth Area View For CobaltBlue and Bethany
This is a 6 image simulation of the partial eclipse for 5-20-2012 as viewed from Fort Worth, Texas. This series starts with the Moon's initial contact at 7:33PM CDT with the Sun's Azimuth at 288.2 degrees (compass heading) and Altitude at 9.2 degrees (above horizon - 0 degrees). The images then progress at 9 minute intervals until the Sun and Moon are at the Horizon shown as the green bottom border at 8:18PM. The Sun's Azimuth at this point is 294 degrees and the Altitude is 0.3 degrees. The Sunset is complete at 8:24PM.
Does This Pinhole Projector Really Work?
You bet it does and the proof is in the pudding as they say. With the projector in my left hand pointed over my head at the Sun and my point and shoot in my right hand I took this image this morning. The insert is a full size image from the original and images are as is out of the camera, no touch ups. Watching the eclipse you will clearly be able to see the Moon's dark silhouette covering the Sun. Remember that today is also the day of the New Moon and its phase is virtually 0%, not illuminated.
So, Anything Up There Behind The Scenes?
Quite a few things as a matter of fact, The Pleiades aka The Seven Sisters will be a witness to the whole thing along with Mercury and Jupiter. All of this is taking place in the constellation Taurus, The Bull, and there is even a small portion of the Milky Way in this chart image from 9:30AM today May 20, 2012. The blue circles represent areas of nebulosity (gas clouds) and the stars are only shown out to about 15 magnitude. This is a busy place. From the time of this chart the Moon will cover the 4.1 degrees separation to the Sun and cross over it with the end of the eclipse around 10:20 EDT, almost 13 hours.
