Solar eclipse viewing tips: Stay safe, protect your eyes

INDIANAPOLIS — Those watching the solar eclipse April 8 should take precautions to protect their vision and plan for a successful sky watching experience.

Indiana State Police and Indiana Department of Transportation shared tips on how to make the most of the experience.

From The Experts

“Have your pre-viewing location already picked out. Have it mapped out. Figure out how to get there. Understand that, as you’re driving to that location, there’s going to be a high volume of traffic. Just be patient. People are getting to their viewing locations. It’s no different than when we have a big day like the Indianapolis 500. There’s going to be a lot of traffic.”

Kevin Getz, sergeant

Indiana State Police

“We encourage people to be prepared. That could be traveling with water bottles, snacks, charging cables, as well as extra clothes, just in case. In Indiana, you never know what April could bring. It could be snow, rain, or a beautiful sunny day. We encourage motorists to prepare for any of those.”

Sidney Nierman, public relations director

INDOT

“Avoid traveling during the total solar eclipse itself. It’s going to be dark, which is nothing new, but because of the amount of traffic we’re going to have, it could pose a little bit of a dangerous situation.”

Ron Galavis, captain

Indiana State Police

Viewing Tips

Do

• Use eclipse glasses or solar viewers. Do not stare continuously at the sun. Take breaks and give your eyes a rest.

• Use a box pinhole viewer.

• Use a pinhole projector.

• Use your hands to cast shadows on the ground. Cross your hands with fingers slightly spread to create a waffle pattern. Look down and you will see the spaces between your fingers project a shadow image of the sun in a crescent shape during the partial eclipse stages.

• Look at shadows on the ground, such as beneath a leafy tree, during the partial eclipse to see the crescent sun shadows projected by the spaces between the leaves.

Don’t

• Do not look at the sun directly.

• Do not view through regular sunglasses. No matter how dark they are, they will not protect your eyes.

• Do not use damaged eclipse sunglasses or solar viewers. If they are torn, scratched or punctured, do not use them and throw them away. If the filters are coming out of their frames, discard them.

• Do not use homemade filters.

• Do not view through welder’s glass. The glass in most welding helmets is not strong enough.

• Do not view through your camera viewfinder.

• Do not view through a telescope without the proper solar filter. Do not view the telescope using your eclipse sunglasses either.

• Do not view through binoculars.

Source: Indiana Department of Homeland Security