The Great North American Solar Eclipse

There are a range of ways for you to watch the solar eclipse safely, without harming your eyes:

• Make a pinhole viewer – fun to make in advance, with your kids
• Watch online –  a live viewing link will be provided closer to the date of the event.
• Purchase your own eclipse glasses only from reputable sources – Canadian Tire locations in Dunnville and Caledonia have a supply for purchase.  When ordering online order early to avoid disappointment as supplies are limited and shipping can be challenging from sources in the US. Ensure the source is trusted and glasses are labelled to meet ISO 12312-2 requirements. Eclipse glasses are about 100,000 times darker than ordinary sunglasses and block nearly all visible light as well as all infrared and ultraviolet light.
• You only need one pair of solar glasses to share amongst several people, as you will be viewing it for only short periods, intermittently throughout the eclipse.

Safety tips

• You can view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection only when the moon completely obscures the sun’s bright face, during the brief and spectacular period known as totality. (You’ll know it’s safe when you can no longer see any part of the Sun through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer.)
• As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright sun reappear after totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the sun.
• Using a camera or your cell phone will not protect your eyes, and directly pointing your camera at the sun during a solar eclipse can cause damage to your camera’s internal sensor and lens (especially with newer models that have larger and faster lenses). Solar filters for phone camera lenses and cameras can be purchased at camera stores and online.
• Do not use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with cameras, binoculars, or telescopes. Those require a different type of solar filter.
• Read the instructions written inside the solar glasses to determine the length of continuous wear allowed (usually only a few minutes) and check for the correct ISO 12312-2 labeling.

Learn more about eclipse safety from NASA.

The Eclipse through Sound

The solar eclipse is a once in a lifetime experience, and should be accessible for everyone. For individuals with vision loss or low vision, there are a variety of options to experience the eclipse.

The Eclipse Soundscapes – this is a free app available on Android or Apple to download. It includes a countdown clock and rumble map that will allow users to hear and feel the eclipse on their smart device.

Download the Android App
Download the Apple App

The Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco will be converting the sounds of the eclipse into a musical composition, live!
Learn more about this process on the Smithsonian
Listen to this composition live on the Exploratorium Website

Watch the Eclipse Live

If you are unable to watch the eclipse outside, or don’t have the proper glasses, a live stream is a great and accessible way to experience the eclipse!
Here are a few live streaming options to watch the eclipse:
The University of Toronto’s live feed – Chasing the Eclipse through Canada
NASA’s official broadcast
NASA’s official telescope feed