2017 total eclipse question (eye protection)

[zahc]

I remember the eclipse when I was a kid in grade school- we watched it indirectly using a box turned on its side with a pinhole in the topside with a sheet of paper in the bottom.

This. View the reflected image (or scattered, by wax paper or ground glass) via a high-f-stop system. Does not necessarily have to be a pinhole just a lens. After all, looking at a sheet of paper lying in sunlight doesn't hurt your eyes, and that's effectively f/1. F16: That's another factor of 100 or so attenuation plus reflection loss. I have been thinking about if I could Black out a room and make a real  camera obscura, but I need to work out the angles.

[Perd Hapley]

This. View the reflected image (or scattered, by wax paper or ground glass) via a high-f-stop system. Does not necessarily have to be a pinhole just a lens. After all, looking at a sheet of paper lying in sunlight doesn't hurt your eyes, and that's effectively f/1. F16: That's another factor of 100 or so attenuation plus reflection loss. I have been thinking about if I could Black out a room and make a real camera obscura, but I need to work out the angles.

You want to make a Scottish indie band?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvlpo1uEi90

[KD5NRH]

Further research (NASA website) indicates a welding shade 14 or darker is OK.

For limited use like this, I generally used a 10 and a 5 stacked.  Even better if you can find the 5 as glasses (wonderful product for migraine sufferers) and the 10 as a hood that works over them.  14s seem to disappear from Tractor Supply when there's a solar event on the calendar.

[French G.]

I see where a hot cousin of mine( by marriage, put away your banjos) posted that her kid's school district is keeping all students indoors to avoid chance of eye damage. Nothing says education like skipping a scientific event, one with historical cultural ties, that the students will experience only once in their young lives. The parents are happy about the decision.

[HankB]

I remember the eclipse when I was a kid in grade school- we watched it indirectly using a box turned on its side with a pinhole in the topside with a sheet of paper in the bottom.

Ah, the old Sunscope. I remember that back in the '60s. Large box, pinhole at one end, white paper at the other end, and a large, slightly offset hole you could stick your head into.

A really long focal length lens would work, too, as long as there are no internal foci. (Don't try using a riflescope unless you want to melt the reticle.)

Digital cameras will need a really dense ND filter in front of the lens to avoid damage.

[Scout26]

I remember the eclipse when I was a kid in grade school- we watched it indirectly using a box turned on its side with a pinhole in the topside with a sheet of paper in the bottom.

I think it was fifth grade.  The teachers had procured about 10-15 refrigerator boxes.  We all stood in line behind one of the boxes, stuck our heads in the hole on the side, and looked at the white piece of butcher paper on the ground inside the box.

Cool.

[KD5NRH]

Ah, the old Sunscope. I remember that back in the '60s. Large box, pinhole at one end, white paper at the other end, and a large, slightly offset hole you could stick your head into.

Even better; cut out the "back" wall of the box and stretch paper (or translucent plastic stencil material, or white fabric) over that.  Rear projection viewer that several people can easily watch at once.  I've seen one of these made from 36" Sonotube with a laser-cut pinhole in a metal top lid, stuck through a hole in a large sheet of fairly opaque tarp material, with a tripod and equatorial mount attachment for automated tracking.  With everything tuned to get a roughly 24" solar disc with pretty impressive sharpness on the screen, (it was for a sunspot and solar prominence event, so having more than the disc visible was needed) it was the perfect covered solar theater.

[mtnbkr]

Got this email from Amazon regarding the glasses I bought from them:

We’re writing to provide you with important safety information about the eclipse products you purchased on Amazon (order #number for Supernova Solar Eclipse Glasses- CE and ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing, Great American Total Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017 (Plastic - 4 Pack)).

To protect your eyes when viewing the sun or an eclipse, NASA and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) advise you to use solar eclipse glasses or other solar filters from recommended manufacturers.  Viewing the sun or an eclipse using any other glasses or filters could result in loss of vision or permanent blindness.

Amazon has not received confirmation from the supplier of your order that they sourced the item from a recommended manufacturer.  We recommend that you DO NOT use this product to view the sun or the eclipse.

Amazon is applying a balance for the purchase price to Your Account (please allow 7-10 days for this to appear on Your Account).  There is no need for you to return the product. You can view your available balance and activity here

I've already returned mine and received a refund, so it'll be interesting to see if I also get the credit. 

Chris

[Boomhauer]

My company is buying eclipse glasses but I have my welding helmet if we don't get them

We also get a paid hour break to watch it from 2:15-3:15

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[Kingcreek]

I found out the local library has a quantity of free glasses via NASA or a grant from NASA. I'll pick up a pair on Monday. I have the welding helmets as a backup plan and can layer shades to safe levels.
We live on a 93% eclipse line and not willing to drive 3 hours for a total experience.
Gave up on getting my own images. Not worth risking the damage.
It'll prolly rain that day anyway.

[mtnbkr]

Gave up on getting my own images. Not worth risking the damage.

I was considering buying a solar filter for my camera, but decided I'd rather enjoy the experience with the kids than be fiddling with a camea.

It'll prolly rain that day anyway.

That's a concern as well.  I'd hate to put a pile of cash into this only to have it cloudy that day.

Chris

[Ben]

Got this email from Amazon regarding the glasses I bought from them:

I've already returned mine and received a refund, so it'll be interesting to see if I also get the credit. 

Chris

Interesting. I got the same email.

The kicker though, is that Thousand Oaks Optical is approved on the NASA site. The Amazon email said that they did not get confirmation that they are approved, which doesn't necessarily mean they are not approved. I'm going to have to do some more digging to confirm that my exact item # is approved, but according to NASA, everything by the supplier is good to go.

Of course as crazy as this eclipse thing is getting, who knows if I'll even use them. Right now I've already dropped myself down to the 95% zone just based on my news feeds from OR, ID, WY regarding major traffic jams and potential gas shortages. At this rate, I might just end up watching the thing on the Internet. 

[Sergeant Bob]

I saw a total eclipse in 1978 or '79, while I was on SAC Alert with my KC135a tanker. Watched it with the aircraft sextant.

[K Frame]

I bought a pack of glasses from Amazon, and I have serious reservations about several pair. A few I think are legit, but I'm not going to trust them.

I've not gotten any messages from Amazon about the purchase.

[RoadKingLarry]

I received a notification from Amazon about the 1st batch I bought.
It didn't state that they were defective or unsafe, just not verified as properly certified.

Amazon has not received confirmation from the supplier of your order that they sourced the item from a recommended manufacturer.  We recommend that you DO NOT use this product to view the sun or the eclipse

I had already taken one set out and looked at the sun through them. I don't think there is a problem with them.
 

[Ben]

I was following up yesterday, and  Iknow mine are good. All signs point to Amazon overreacting (which in this case is probably a good thing). On one of the tech sites, a guy posted that they refunded the money on the $150 solar filter he bought for his camera lens. I forgot the brand, but he seemed to know what he was talking about regarding astrophotography, and said the name brand filter came in proper packaging, etc. and was absolutely genunine.

So as mentioned above, it appears Amazon is just not taking chances, and is working off hearing back from their various resellers, versus actually checking the products their vendors are selling. So if a vendor didn't respond in time, Amazon defaulted to sending out the email and issuing a refund. That's gotta be costing them a boatload of money.

[AJ Dual]

I was following up yesterday, and  Iknow mine are good. All signs point to Amazon overreacting (which in this case is probably a good thing). On one of the tech sites, a guy posted that they refunded the money on the $150 solar filter he bought for his camera lens. I forgot the brand, but he seemed to know what he was talking about regarding astrophotography, and said the name brand filter came in proper packaging, etc. and was absolutely genunine.

So as mentioned above, it appears Amazon is just not taking chances, and is working off hearing back from their various resellers, versus actually checking the products their vendors are selling. So if a vendor didn't respond in time, Amazon defaulted to sending out the email and issuing a refund. That's gotta be costing them a boatload of money.

Yeah. I'm guessing that the math here Amazon is doing is that a "Muh smoking eyebulbz!" class-action lawsuit would cost a supertanker of money.

[K Frame]

Supposedly more than a few people were ordering from Amazon and getting stuff marked Made in China, or stuff that wasn't marked at all. American Paper Optics doesn't manufacture in China, nor do they import from China.

[Regolith]

American Paper Optics doesn't manufacture in China, nor do they import from China.

That's who I got mine from. They have a website to help identify counterfeits:

https://www.eclipseglasses.com/pages/safety

[BobR]

This where I got my viewing lenses, 1.99 each. A 10 and a 5 each for myself and my wife. Everyone else is hitting Lowe's and Home Depot (which are both sold out), they don't even think of the redneck supply store. They had all kinds of replacement lenses for welding helmets.  

https://north40.com/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw2s_MBRC5mpTGvM2F4bUBEiQAmWIac7QOVy5gPHzSRSGckBlgzhkQ9f9TYJOTTfgI2Th6f8IaAmJL8P8HAQ


bob

[K Frame]

My boss has been talking about this for weeks, and now she's waited too long, everyone is sold out, and she's freaking the hell out.

Prices have spiked incredibly on the paper glasses.

I bought a pack from Amazon a couple weeks ago, but then I started hearing about all of the counterfeits, and now I'm nervous to use the ones I got from Amazon. She's asking me to bring them in for her, but I'm just not sure if I should. I don't want to be responsible if they are counterfeit and she or her kids end up with vision damage.

I've checked out the different sites that say how to tell counterfeits, and the ones I got from Amazon seem to be authentic, but I'm still nervous.

[Ben]

Heh, just checking the weather, and Eastern Idaho, and Western WY which were supposed to get a ton of people due to the previous predictions on likely weather, especially around Jackson and the Tetons, are right now listed as "partly sunny". That should be interesting.

My plan right now is overnighting in Coalville UT, then driving Northish into Idaho past the Blackfoot Reservoir on backroads, potentially to Bone. Depends on if things are crazy and how crazy. I'm prepared to call it quits anywhere along the route if it gets too irritating. The least I should get is 96% (if it's not cloudy). I'm bringing my fishing poles for the fallback plan and for fishing my way home through the week. 

[zxcvbob]

My boss has been talking about this for weeks, and now she's waited too long, everyone is sold out, and she's freaking the hell out.

Prices have spiked incredibly on the paper glasses.

I bought a pack from Amazon a couple weeks ago, but then I started hearing about all of the counterfeits, and now I'm nervous to use the ones I got from Amazon. She's asking me to bring them in for her, but I'm just not sure if I should. I don't want to be responsible if they are counterfeit and she or her kids end up with vision damage.

I've checked out the different sites that say how to tell counterfeits, and the ones I got from Amazon seem to be authentic, but I'm still nervous.

Use them to look at the sun (briefly) on a sunny early-afternoon.  You'll be able to tell if they work.

[zahc]

technically you can't. Because they could be passing all kinds of retina-searing IR and UV which you can't see at all, so actually looking through glasses to assess their safety is pointless. I have IR camera filters that appear totally opaque to the naked eye. Look through them with an IR camera and they appear transparent like clear glass. That's the whole thing.

[230RN]

Recent news report is that the Colorado State Patrol is expecting every Northbound highway will be jammed up and they will put extra Troopers on the roads.

BTW, Troopers seem to appreciate it if you call them Troopers.  May count for a few points in your favor if you're stopped.  Sort of like calling a Marine a Marine, and not a "soldier."

Son2 got a rotating variable ND filter for his big lens.  Runs from ND 3 to ND 300, he says.  He's experimenting to find out where to set it.

Terry