If you want to know how to make a solar eclipse box, the simplest version uses a cereal box, paper, tin foil, a pen, sellotape, drawing pins, and scissors. It gives people a low-cost way to watch the eclipse indirectly when official eclipse glasses are not available.
The eclipse will be almost total across British soil, with 90-96% of the sun obscured depending on location. The article says ordinary sunglasses are not enough; even a few seconds of direct viewing can cause permanent damage to the retina, while an unfiltered phone camera can have its sensor damaged by direct sunlight in a couple of seconds.
Cereal box pinhole projector
The build starts by tracing the bottom end of the cereal box on white paper and taping that sheet to the inside bottom of the box. Square openings are then cut on the top left and top right of the lid, while the middle section stays sealed shut.
Next, the left top corner is covered with tin foil and secured with tape, and a tiny pinhole is poked into the middle of that foil. The right top corner is left uncovered, so the box is ready once the pinhole is made.
Using the box safely
At the time of the eclipse, the sun should be behind you, at your back. Point the bottom of the box toward the ground and angle it so sunlight travels through the pinhole, then look into the box through the open corner to watch the eclipse safely and indirectly.
Extra paper can be added around the box to make the inside darker, which helps reduce stray light and makes the projected image easier to see. Official eclipse glasses still remain the direct way to fully observe the eclipse, but the box offers a household alternative for anyone without them.
UK eclipse timing
The millennium's first solar eclipse is visible across the world this evening, and the last total solar eclipse took place 27 years ago. The next total solar eclipse in the UK will not occur until 2090, so this homemade viewer gives people a practical option for a rare night of skywatching without putting sunlight straight into their eyes.
