Make your own eclipse viewer
Have you heard? There is a solar eclipse coming Aug. 21. While it is definitely something to see, it is not safe to look at the sun. Making an eclipse viewer is super simple and will allow you to see the moon as it moves to cover the sun.
DIY Eclipse Viewer
Materials
Cereal Box
White Paper
Aluminum Foil
Scissors
Tape
Colored paper and glue (optional)
Instructions
Cut a strip of white paper that will fit on the bottom inside of your cereal box. Tape or glue this piece of paper down inside of your box. It will act as your viewing screen for the eclipse.
Cut the two short topside flaps out of the cereal box. Cut 2 or 3 inches off either side of the center of the remaining flaps, and tape them in the center.
Tape a piece of aluminum foil on one side of your lid. Poke a small round hole in the center of the foil.
You can stop here if you like. Your viewer is completely functional. But the eclipse isn’t until August, so you’ve got time to decorate your box.
To use your viewer, stand outside with your back toward the sun. Look in the bottom hole in your box lid, and position your box so that the sunlight is coming through the foil hole and is centered on the white paper inside. During the eclipse, you will be able to see a dark circle (the moon) move to cover the bright light circle. We are lucky, in Salem we will experience some totality. This won’t happen again for a while, so be prepared so you don’t miss out!
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