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Make a pinhole projector with a cardboard box, aluminum foil, white paper, tape and a pin. It projects the Sun onto a screen so you can watch the eclipse indirectly—with your back to the Sun and your eyes on the projected image, never through the pinhole.
What you need
- A cardboard box
- White paper
- Aluminum foil
- Tape
- Scissors
- A pin or pushpin
These ordinary household materials are enough; a special kit is not required. The pinhole is an opening that projects sunlight onto the paper, not an eyepiece.
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- Cut an opening in one end of the box and cover it with foil, taping the foil in place.
- Use a pin to make a small hole in the foil. Keep the hole small; NASA’s instructions do not specify an optimal diameter.
- Place white paper at the opposite interior end of the box to serve as the projection screen.
- Cut a separate viewing opening in the box so you can see the paper screen without looking toward the foil aperture.
- Stand with your back to the Sun and aim the foil-covered end toward sunlight. Look through the viewing opening at the paper. Never look through the pinhole.
During partial phases, the projected image shows the Sun’s crescent shape. The box shades the screen and provides a convenient place to look at the projection.
Try a simpler two-card version
For a lightweight option, use two pieces of white cardstock, foil, tape and a pin. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Education’s instructions call for cutting an approximately 1- to 2-inch square or rectangular opening in one card, covering it with foil, and poking a small hole in the foil. The 1- to 2-inch measurement is for the card cutout, not the pinhole.
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- Hold the card with the foil aperture toward the Sun, with your back to the Sun.
- Hold the second card behind it as a screen and view the image projected onto the card. Do not look through the aperture.
- Move the cards farther apart to make the projected image larger. Shading the screen can make the image easier to see.
The box method encloses and shades the screen; the two-card method avoids the box but requires you to hold and position both cards. Both rely on indirect projection, and the cited instructions do not establish that either produces a sharper image.
Other ways to project the eclipse
A colander or a small gap made by crossing your fingers can also project multiple images of the Sun onto a surface. During a partial eclipse, those projected images show the changing crescent. In each case, watch the projection rather than looking at the Sun through the opening.
Solar-viewing safety
- Never look directly at the Sun through the pinhole or without equipment designed for safe solar viewing. As NASA’s eclipse safety guidance puts it: “Do NOT look at the Sun through the pinhole!”
- During partial eclipse phases, use safe solar viewing glasses or a handheld solar viewer if you look directly at the Sun. Ordinary sunglasses are not safe substitutes.
- Do not look at the Sun through binoculars, a telescope or a camera while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld viewer. Concentrated sunlight can damage the filter and cause serious eye injury.
- Optical equipment needs a proper solar filter designed for that equipment and attached at the front.
A pinhole projector makes a small projected image, not a magnified close-up. For the eclipse’s timing and local circumstances, check current guidance for your location.
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