Don't have any solar eclipse viewing glasses? Make your own eclipse viewer
If you don't have a pair of special viewing glasses for the upcoming solar eclipse, there's no need to panic.
You can make your own eclipse viewer a few different ways.
What are DIY ways you can view an eclipse?
A pinhole viewer
To build a box pinhole viewer you'll need a cardboard box, scissors, white sheet of paper, aluminum foil, a pencil, tape and a push pin.
You'll need to cut the white sheet of paper, so it fits one end of the box, then tape it onto the inside of the box.
On the opposite side of the paper, cut two holes on either end of the box. One for a viewing hole and the other, cut out a piece of the aluminum foil so it'll cover the hole completely. Tape the foil over the hole.
Use the push pin to poke a tiny hole in the center of the foil and your pinhole viewer is complete.
Here's which colors to wear — and avoid — during the April 2024 solar eclipse
Cross hand method
With your back to the sun, cross one hand over the other with outstretched fingers to create a waffle pattern. Look at your hands shadow on the ground. The small spaces between your fingers will project a grid of small images of the sun's crescent shape during the eclipse.
Holes in tree leaves
As the sun shines through holes formed between tree leaves, the tiny spaces between the leaves act as pinhole projectors, scattering images of the sun on the ground.
Optical projection
Use a telescope or binoculars, affixed with a solar filter to project the image of the sun onto a larger viewing surface. Solar filters block most of the sunlight before it enters the device.
Experts say you should not use optical projection unless you are an experienced astronomer and can supervise the equipment at all times.
A total solar eclipse is coming to Oklahoma in April. Here's where to find eclipse glasses
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: How to make eclipse viewer: See solar eclipse without glasses
