The eclipse on Monday - glasses?

**twelvedown** · 2012-05-18, 09:20 PM

Back in the day dad used to just whip us up a few pairs with some cardboard and old camera film...
Unfortunately there's not a lot of film to be had these days.

So does anyone know where I can buy some, or how to make some? Thanks.

Here's the word on the eclipse.

In Tokyo on May 21, the eclipse will start at 6:19 a.m. and become an annular eclipse at 7:32 a.m. The annular eclipse will reach its peak at 7:34:30, with 97 percent of the sun hidden, and end at 7:37 a.m., with the moon moving fully out of the way by 9:02 a.m. Cities in western Japan will see the eclipse a few minutes earlier than Tokyo does.

**Call_It_Like_Eye_See_It** · 2012-05-19, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by twelvedown

Back in the day dad used to just whip us up a few pairs with some cardboard and old camera film...
Unfortunately there's not a lot of film to be had these days.

So does anyone know where I can buy some, or how to make some? Thanks.

Here's the word on the eclipse.

In Tokyo on May 21, the eclipse will start at 6:19 a.m. and become an annular eclipse at 7:32 a.m. The annular eclipse will reach its peak at 7:34:30, with 97 percent of the sun hidden, and end at 7:37 a.m., with the moon moving fully out of the way by 9:02 a.m. Cities in western Japan will see the eclipse a few minutes earlier than Tokyo does.

Get thee to a bookstore before Sunday night. I hear glasses that come with pretty cool astronomical magazines can be had for 1000 yen or less!

**well_bicyclically** · 2012-05-19, 07:37 AM

I bought mine at AEON, in the school supplies section. Cost 198 yen. Then saw them all over town for 300 - 400 yen a pop. Kansai is expected to be cloudy that morning... ah well.

Schools in Kanto feared young children on their school commute would have accidents while walking and staring up at the sun, so decided to move the starting hour of school up by one hour. Other schools, keeping in mind the opportunity and the directive from the Ministry of Education to promote the event as an expansion of the students' minds with regard to science and the universe around us, promptly cancelled all classes for Monday.

**twelvedown** · 2012-05-19, 09:49 PM

I have 4 pairs of sunglasses. If I put them all on at once you think that would be good enough?
Like? I know not to stare at the sun for minutes on end using that idea...
Thanks for the ideas. I'll try to hit a bookstore tomorrow.

**cucashopboy** · 2012-05-20, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by well_bicyclically

I bought mine at AEON, in the school supplies section. Cost 198 yen. Then saw them all over town for 300 - 400 yen a pop. Kansai is expected to be cloudy that morning... ah well.

Schools in Kanto feared young children on their school commute would have accidents while walking and staring up at the sun, so decided to move the starting hour of school up by one hour. Other schools, keeping in mind the opportunity and the directive from the Ministry of Education to promote the event as an expansion of the students' minds with regard to science and the universe around us, promptly cancelled all classes for Monday.

Depends on the education board - the one responsible for schools in my area has not changed class times and recommended teachers not to have special eclipse-watching events in the case that it goes wrong somewhere and a student gets blinded.

**twelvedown** · 2012-05-20, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by cucashopboy

Depends on the education board - the one responsible for schools in my area has not changed class times and recommended teachers not to have special eclipse-watching events in the case that it goes wrong somewhere and a student gets blinded.

That seems pretty wimpy of them. They could just do as our teachers did and make us so fully terrified of the danger that we wouldn't look at the sun for more than a split second.
The danger is there but it's a bit over-dramatized.

**Seattlegirl** · 2012-05-20, 09:12 AM

Temporary thread hijack: twelvedown, your box is full.

**twelvedown** · 2012-05-20, 09:28 AM

Thanks.
Do you think I'll go blind if I used my 4-pairs of sunglasses trick?

**Seattlegirl** · 2012-05-20, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by twelvedown

Do you think I'll go blind if I used my 4-pairs of sunglasses trick?

Probably not, but you might fall down because you won't be able to see anything. More dangerous than the eclipse.

**edin日本** · 2012-05-20, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by twelvedown

Back in the day dad used to just whip us up a few pairs with some cardboard and old camera film...
Unfortunately there's not a lot of film to be had these days.

So does anyone know where I can buy some, or how to make some? Thanks.

Here's the word on the eclipse.

In Tokyo on May 21, the eclipse will start at 6:19 a.m. and become an annular eclipse at 7:32 a.m. The annular eclipse will reach its peak at 7:34:30, with 97 percent of the sun hidden, and end at 7:37 a.m., with the moon moving fully out of the way by 9:02 a.m. Cities in western Japan will see the eclipse a few minutes earlier than Tokyo does.

Would xray film work? GF has some dental xray film.

**twelvedown** · 2012-05-20, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by edin日本

Would xray film work? GF has some dental xray film.

I would say so. Tape it into a wicked cardboard mask with flames shooting up the side or something.

**Seattlegirl** · 2012-05-20, 09:56 AM

**twelvedown** · 2012-05-20, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Seattlegirl

That's perfect but probably too much effort for me. I'd just use plain cardboard and draw flames on it.

**Call_It_Like_Eye_See_It** · 2012-05-20, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Seattlegirl

Someone has way too much free time on his hands...

And don't wait 'til tonight to get your glasses! There's a serious run on the glasses now! Like some Japanese are buying extra pairs as mementos of the event...!

**possum** · 2012-05-20, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Call_It_Like_Eye_See_It

Someone has way too much free time on his hands...

And don't wait 'til tonight to get your glasses! There's a serious run on the glasses now! Like some Japanese are buying extra pairs as mementos of the event...!

Oh dear! I was hoping to get some this afternoon. One of my children is really fascinated by astronomical things, and we have a nice flat rooftop terrace to observe from.
Time to get shopping it seems

**twelvedown** · 2012-05-20, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by possum

Oh dear! I was hoping to get some this afternoon. One of my children is really fascinated by astronomical things, and we have a nice flat rooftop terrace to observe from.
Time to get shopping it seems

Hop to it. There were none to be had around my part of town.
Be sure your rooftop faces the right way and that there isn't a building in the path of the sun as it is going on kinda early.

**possum** · 2012-05-20, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by twelvedown

Hop to it. There were none to be had around my part of town.
Be sure your rooftop faces the right way and that there isn't a building in the path of the sun as it is going on kinda early.

We are lucky enough to have pretty much the the whole roof, so we have close to a 360 view.
I've seen the sunrise from the roof on occasion, so if we can see that I would imagine we will be able to see the eclipse tomorrow.

As long as we can get glasses of course

**Hijinx** · 2012-05-20, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by possum

We are lucky enough to have pretty much the the whole roof, so we have close to a 360 view.
I've seen the sunrise from the roof on occasion, so if we can see that I would imagine we will be able to see the eclipse tomorrow.

As long as we can get glasses of course

Welder's goggle lens of 14 or higher will work.

**Sterling** · 2012-05-20, 07:31 PM

The conventional wisdom seems to indicate that most of the alternative methods such as using 4 pairs of sunglasses, DVDs or CDs, dental or x-ray film, or even 2 layers of #7 welders' googles (you should get #14 or higher) ... are unsafe and not recommended.

However, I was wondering - the digital camera on my new smartphone is pretty damned sweet. Viewing the eclipse via the lcd screen of a digital camera ought to be fine, right?

**Hijinx** · 2012-05-20, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by Sterling

The conventional wisdom seems to indicate that most of the alternative methods such as using 4 pairs of sunglasses, DVDs or CDs, dental or x-ray film, or even 2 layers of #7 welders' googles (you should get #14 or higher) ... are unsafe and not recommended.

However, I was wondering - the digital camera on my new smartphone is pretty damned sweet. Viewing the eclipse via the lcd screen of a digital camera ought to be fine, right?

You would need a lens filter to keep from damaging the sensor.

**Deathblob** · 2012-05-20, 07:45 PM

All they had left here were some fancy-dancy plastic eclipse binoculars, for 2000Yen. Didn't sound like a good idea to me, so I made a pinhole camera box for my kid. It'll probably be cloudy in the AM.

**Sterling** · 2012-05-20, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Hijinx

You would need a lens filter to keep from damaging the sensor.

In that case, since we're not directly viewing it anyways (eg. it's not an SLR etc), then can a reasonable substitute suffice? Something like Mylar film, for example?

**Hijinx** · 2012-05-20, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Sterling

In that case, since we're not directly viewing it anyways (eg. it's not an SLR etc), then can a reasonable substitute suffice? Something like Mylar film, for example?

I think you need a proper filter. But this guy makes one out of a dvd:

I might give it a try, and if I ruin the camera, it gives me an excuse to get a new one.

**Sterling** · 2012-05-20, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by Hijinx

I think you need a proper filter. But this guy makes one out of a dvd:

I might give it a try, and if I ruin the camera, it gives me an excuse to get a new one.

I couldn't splice the disc and gave up. Instead I went out to the Y100 Lawson store and picked up an emergency blanket (it's where they have bicycle parts). Cut out a small piece of Mylar and made placed it over the lens of my smartphone camera.

If you have something fancier, you can take a look at the advice posted here:

http://greg-kennedy.com/2012/05/19/d...-solar-filter/

It's probably going to be cloudy tomorrow anyways: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/yoho/319.html

In that case, watch the video feed from Mt. Fuji:

http://panasonic.net/eclipselive/

**ruserious** · 2012-05-21, 09:57 AM

I'm watching it right now. Very cool!

**Pinkerton** · 2012-05-21, 10:36 AM

the lunatic is in my head....

**Seattlegirl** · 2012-05-22, 06:57 AM

No need for glasses here...

**Pinkerton** · 2012-05-22, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Seattlegirl

No need for glasses here...

I can kind of see it....

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