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Make an indirect solar viewer with two pieces of white cardstock, aluminum foil, tape and a pin, paper clip or pencil. A tiny hole in the foil projects the Sun onto a separate white surface; you watch that projected image with your back to the Sun. Never look through the hole at the Sun.
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Safety first: what this projector can—and cannot—do
A pinhole projector is an indirect viewing method. Sunlight passes through the small opening and forms an image on paper or another screen. Your eyes stay on that screen, not on the aperture or the Sun.
- NASA’s warning is explicit: “Do NOT look at the Sun through the pinhole!”
- During a partial or annular eclipse, never look directly at the Sun without eclipse viewers that meet solar-viewing requirements. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe.
- Pinhole projection is too faint to use during totality, according to the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
- During a total solar eclipse, unprotected direct viewing is safe only while the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright face. Put approved solar viewers back on before any bright Sun reappears.
- Do not attach eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers to binoculars, telescopes or cameras. Those optical instruments need purpose-made filters fitted over their front apertures; they are not part of this projector.
Two-card pinhole projector
Materials
- Two pieces of white cardstock
- Aluminum foil
- Tape
- A pin, paper clip or pencil
NASA JPL describes this as an activity that can take under 30 minutes; that is a project-time estimate, not a performance measurement.
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Build and use it
- Cut a roughly 1-to-2-inch square or rectangle in the middle of one cardstock sheet.
- Tape aluminum foil over the opening so it is covered securely.
- Turn the card over and make one small hole in the foil with the pin, paper clip or pencil. NASA JPL does not specify a required hole diameter, so do not enlarge it unnecessarily.
- Place the second cardstock sheet on the ground as your screen.
- Stand with the Sun behind you. Hold the foil card above the lower card with the foil facing upward, allowing sunlight to pass through the hole.
- Look only at the projected Sun image on the lower card. Do not look toward the Sun through the foil opening.
Make the image easier to see
- Put the screen card in a shaded area while keeping the foil card in direct sunlight. The darker screen improves contrast.
- Increase the distance between the foil card and screen to make the projected image larger. Keep your body positioned so the Sun remains behind you.
The opening acts like a tiny camera lens: rays from the Sun pass through it and form an image on the receiving card.
Enclosed cardboard-box projector
Materials and setup
- Cardboard box
- White paper
- Aluminum foil
- Tape
- Scissors
- Tape foil over a small opening on one side of the box.
- Poke a small pinhole in the foil.
- Attach white paper inside the opposite end of the box as the projection screen.
- Cut a separate viewing opening in the box so you can see the image on the paper.
- Stand with the Sun behind you and look through the viewing opening at the internal screen.
The viewing opening is not the pinhole. Never use it to look toward the Sun, and never look through the foil aperture itself. The box simply encloses the projection and blocks stray light.
Which design should you choose?
| Feature | Two-card projector | Box projector |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Two white cardstock sheets, foil, tape and a pin, paper clip or pencil | Cardboard box, white paper, foil, tape and scissors |
| Where the image appears | On a separate card or other white surface | On white paper inside the box |
| Viewing arrangement | Hold the perforated card above the screen | Look through a separate side opening at the enclosed screen |
| Main advantage | Fastest, most portable option | Enclosed screen is easier to shade from surrounding light |
| Essential rule | Look only at the projected image; never at the Sun through the aperture | |
Other safe projection ideas
With the Sun behind you, AAS also lists a card with a small hole, a colander, a straw hat, crossed fingers and the gaps between leaves as projection tools. Their many openings create multiple images on the ground or another surface.
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- During an annular eclipse, they appear as small rings.
- These projections remain indirect: watch the images on the surface, not the Sun.
What to expect during each eclipse phase
Partial eclipse
The projected Sun should show a curved or crescent-shaped bright area as the Moon covers part of the solar disk. Direct viewing still requires proper solar viewers for the entire event.
Annular eclipse
Projection can show a ring-shaped image. Because the Sun is never completely covered, there is no safe period for unprotected direct viewing.
Total eclipse
The pinhole image becomes too faint during totality for this method to be useful. If you are observing a total eclipse, use approved viewers before and after totality, and remove them only during the brief interval when the bright solar face is fully hidden.
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Troubleshooting
The image is too dim
- Move the screen into shade while leaving the foil card illuminated.
- Choose a clean white screen and shield it from reflections.
- Confirm that the Sun is behind you and the hole is not blocked by tape or torn foil.
The image is too small
Move the foil card farther from the screen. A longer projection distance produces a larger image, although the available sunlight and screen position limit what is practical.
I cannot find the Sun on the screen
Do not search by looking through the hole. Keep your back to the Sun and slowly adjust the card’s position until its shadow is centered over the screen; the projected disk should then appear.
Quick Recap
Quick checklist before you start
- Sun behind you
- Foil pinhole unobstructed
- Separate white screen ready
- Eyes directed only at the projected image
- No ordinary sunglasses used as solar protection
- Approved solar viewers ready for any direct viewing before or after totality
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