Emily Lakdawalla • July 28, 2017

Sharing an eclipse with kids

There's a lot of buzz in the USA about traveling to see the upcoming total solar eclipse, but most of the country's residents -- as well as people in Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America -- will be witnessing a partial eclipse. Here's a simple and safe way to observe a partial eclipse that's appropriate for young children with no eclipse glasses or other special equipment needed. Throughout the exercise, kids safely face away from the Sun. These instructions are good for all solar eclipses seen from all countries, not just the "Great American Eclipse" coming soon.

Read on for step-by-step instructions, or just watch this video:

VIDEO

Step 1. Find out when the eclipse will be visible in your area

I like the eclipse page at timeanddate.com for its simple interface. Here is what the page looks like when I ask for information about upcoming eclipses in Los Angeles:

timeanddate.com predictions for the August 21, 2017 eclipse for Los Angeles, California

Note this diagram is only valid for Los Angeles, California! Visit

http://ift.tt/1TnS19K

to get information for your area.

Step 2. Plan ahead: find a good spot to see the eclipse

On a day before eclipse day, go outdoors to locate a good viewing spot, at the same time of day that the eclipse will be happening. But don't look for the Sun, look for your shadow. If you can see the shadow of your head and shoulders clearly -- whether it's falling on the ground or falling on a wall -- then you are in a good spot for observing the eclipse. If other shadows are touching the shadow of your head, you don't have a clear view.

Tip: Assign this task to the children. It's fun to observe and identify good and bad spots to see their shadows. And then they can play with their shadows.

Emily Lakdawalla

This is a good spot to view an eclipse with a pinhole projector.

It's also good to be close to a tree that is casting dappled shade. Those shade dapples will look very cool during the eclipse. For best results, find dappled shade falling on a flat surface like pavement, packed dirt, or a wall.

Emily Lakdawalla

Dappled shade

Dapples are the circular dots found in the shade of trees. Each dapple is a pinhole-projected image of the Sun.

Step 3. Make a pinhole projector (simple or fancy)

For a simple pinhole projector:

Materials:

• 2 index cards (3-by-5 or A6 or A7 size) or small paper plates for each child
• pushpins (several kids can share)

Procedure:

• Use the push pin to punch a small hole close to the middle of one of the cards. You're done.

Making a simple pinhole projector

For a fancy pinhole projector:

Materials:

• 2 index cards (larger, 5-by-7 or A5 cards work better for this) or small paper plates for each child
• pencil
• 1 pushpin per child
• towel, sweatshirt, blanket, flattened corrugated cardboard box, carpet, or other soft substrate to place underneath card during pin pushing (backpacks will work but less well)

Procedure:

• Draw a simple design on a card. The lines should not be too close together. Here are some examples:
• Place the card on top of something soft (blanket, towel, etc)
• Using the push pin, make small holes along your design lines. Not too close together -- about 5 millimeters (1/4 inch) apart.

Drawings for fancy pinhole eclipse viewers

Emily Lakdawalla

Fancy-punched pinhole projector cards

Step 4. Use your pinhole projector

Before you go outside, remind kids: you don't need to look at the Sun. You need to find your shadow!

• Go to your eclipse observing spot and make sure you can see the shadow of your head and shoulders clearly.
• Hold up the card with the hole on top of your shoulder so that you can see the shadow of the card above the shadow of your shoulder.
• Now hold up the other card and make sure you can see its shadow, too.
• Move the second card and watch how its shadow moves. Keeping the card in front of you, move its shadow until the second card's shadow overlaps the first card's shadow.
• Now look at the second card. You should see a dot on the card for every hole you punched. Those dots are actually images of the Sun.
• Move the second card closer and farther away. What happens to the images of the Sun?
• You are now ready to see the shape of the Sun during the eclipse.

Emily Lakdawalla

How to use a pinhole projector, keeping your back to the Sun

Here's what the fancy eclipse viewers look like:

Emily Lakdawalla, with thanks to her daughters, niece, and nephew

Fancy-punched pinhole projector cards in the Sun

Don't forget to look in the shadows of trees during the eclipse, too! What do you see there?

Emily Lakdawalla

Eclipsey shade

Dappled tree shade during the October 23, 2014 partial solar eclipse.

Want to learn more about the upcoming eclipse? Read our Guide to the Great American Eclipse of 2017!

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