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If there's an eclipse due to take place near you, jump for joy! This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity! A chance we should take advantage of by inviting the whole family. Special events calls for being prepared, and just as you would prepare for an important dinner or birthday party, there are important things to do before a solar eclipse. What's A Solar Eclipse? For those of you who only slightly remember science class, I'll help you refresh. A solar eclipse is when the moon passes in front of the sun and covers its light while all three celestial bodies (Earth, sun and moon) are completely aligned. This alignment is rare and cannot be seen by the entire world at once; it all depends on where in our solar system these three mystical things are perfectly lined up that we'll be able to see the eclipse. Solar Glasses No, they're not sunglasses! Many believe sunglasses can protect you from looking straight at the sun, but that's false. Sunglasses only protect you of UVA rays that bounce back onto your eyes, face and skin from other objects around you. They also protect you from rays that shine directly on you, but they do not protect the inside of your eyes when staring at the sun. It's true when they say the sun can turn you instantly blind if you look long enough! Remember that even if you don't "go blind," the sun's still doing permanent retina damage that may cause eye problems in the future. Anything that results in a loss of vision shouldn't be on your list of things to do. Not only that, but the sun's morning and midday rays are stronger than when it's about to set, so if your eclipse is a morning baby, then you better be grabbing yourself a pair of solar glasses! Where To Get Them? Solar glasses are dirt cheap, and certainly not the same price as regular sunglasses, so there are no excuses! They can range anywhere from a 50 cents to five dollars -- nothing more! Your local pharmacy or drugstore may sell them, but your best bet is online, as there are numerous websites to order from. Don't wait for a solar eclipse to buy them, these are necessities to keep around the house; make it point to introduce them to children at an early stage, that way they can learn about the pros and cons of the sun. What To Do If There Are No Solar Glasses? If you waited last minute and can't get your hands on a pair, not to worry, there are some makeshift, alternative things to do for viewing a solar eclipse: Using A Mirror One of the key things in these solar-viewing hacks is reflection. Take a mirror and fully cover it with a piece of paper that has a hole no wider than 3 cm. The mirror (which is facing the sun) should reflect the sun's light onto a window or white wall (of a house). You'll see the tiny hole you made (that's your sun) being reflected onto your window, etc. then, wait for the eclipse! Note: do not look directly into the mirror because it's just as bad as staring into the sun. A Colander Take a kitchen colander and white sheet of paper, turn your back toward the sun, and line up both the colander and paper so that the sun's light is reflected onto the piece of paper. You'll see a bunch of little holes (these are your suns). Take a look and observe. A Pinhole Lens Grab any old shoebox, a piece of aluminum, a piece of white paper (should be the same size as the foil - no bigger that 3 x 3 inches) scissors and a toothpick (earing or needle works too). At one end of the shoebox cut a squared hole and tape the piece of aluminum over it. Afterward, punch a tiny hole with your toothpick or needle in the center of the aluminum foil. On the other end of the shoebox, opposite the aluminum hole, tape the white paper onto the inside of the box so that it directly faces the aluminum hole. Once that's done, on the same end as the white paper, cut another square (2 x 2 inches) on either the left or right side of the box (doesn't matter, but NOT on the same side that the white paper is taped to; this open hole is your looking point. When the eclipse comes, face the aluminum side up at the sun while the white paper side faces down to the floor. Look into the open hole towards the white paper (kind of like a projector screen); you will see a tiny beam of light (this is your sun), and then wait for it! Once you have all these under your belt, you're ready for a solar eclipse! The only thing that could ever hold you back is the weather! When looking for things to do in Flint, MI, tourists go to www.flintandgenesee.org.
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