Sunday, May 20, 2012

Solar Eclipse

Dear Readers,

I got to see the solar eclipse today.  First I saw it through a welding mask.  I tried to take a photo of it, but it didn't turn out very well.  Then my mom taught me a trick on how to safely look at a solar eclipse without looking into the sun.  She said she learned this trick when she was in 4th grade.  It's call "pinhole projection".  Below are some photos of me demonstrating how to use a pinhole projection to view a solar eclipse.


You have two index card, the one in my left hand as a pinhole in it and the other one is plain. The pinhole index card is held far enough from the other card so that the sun can shine through the pinhole, creating a shadow of the solar eclipse (see photo below). Photo by my mom.



Can you see the solar eclipse shadow? Photo of my mom.


Here is another trick my mom showed me.  I created pinholes by simply overlapping my fingers in 90 degree angles.  If you look closely, you can see many solar eclipse shadows in my shadow. Photo by my mom.

Here is a photo of a solar eclipse courtesy of usatoday.com

Did you see the annular solar eclipse today?

Have you seen one in the past? 
If so, how did you see it?

11 comments:

  1. Dear Ellie,

    What a stellar post! :-)

    I was over at my brother's house for the annular solar eclipse, and we did the exact same things you did! We pushed a pin through an index card and shined it on a white dinner plate. You could really see the eclipse. Next, we did that very same weaving of fingers to get multiple images. We really enjoyed the experience!

    What does the word annular mean?

    Thanks for a fabulous post!

    Your proud teacher,
    Mrs. Y♥llis

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    Replies
    1. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

      Thank you for commenting. It was really fun watching the eclipse because every ten minutes we went out to check on the movement of the shadow. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the full annular eclipse.

      The word annular means ring-shaped.

      Your proud student,
      ♥Ell♥e♥

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  2. Hi Ellie! Thanks for sharing the picture of eclipse made by your pinhole camera. You can really see the image well in your picture. Very cool! I did not see the eclipse today so I'm glad I am able to see your post. Thanks a bunch. Pam Rickard in Shell Beach, CA.

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  3. Sasha♥ ࡉ ᇋ അ ਇ ⌨ ᩯ ሁ ҽ 뉮 ṡ ✏ അMay 21, 2012 at 1:24 PM

    Dear Ellie,

    What a stupendous post! I have seen a solar eclipse before, but I did not see this one! When I saw the eclipse, I used the pinhole trick. It looks kind of weird because I think that the eclipse looks like a giant red-yellow ring! It is very interesting to see an eclipse, and incredibly lucky if you catch one. I am sad that I didn't get to see the solar eclipse, but I hope that I will be able to see another!


    How many solar eclipses have you seen in your lifetime?

    Your friend,
    Sasha♥

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  4. Dear Ellie,

    That is so cool how your mom showed you how to look at the solar eclipse!
    My mom said not to look at it, but I really wanted to. We were going to try to see it when we got home,
    but it was too low in the sky.

    I saw a woman in a car watching the solar eclipse using a jacket . She hanged it out of
    the window of her car and watched the eclipse through the fabric.


    Your Friend,
    Logan

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  5. Dear Ellie,

    What a fabulous post! I think it is great that you saw the solar eclipse. I didn't get to because I didn't have enough time, but I wish I had.

    I did not know that the solar eclipse was taking place until my soccer coach told me at the game. I got really excited and it turned out we didn't have time. I didn't even see anyone else trying to look at it!

    I think the pinhole project is a great way of looking at the solar eclipse, and I will make sure to use it when there is another one.


    Do you know when the next solar eclipse is?

    Your friend,
    Leila♥

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  6. Brenden(Your class mate)May 22, 2012 at 9:20 PM

    Dear Ellie,


    I say great pictures. On Sunday my baseball league and many others went to a LA Dodgers game. During the game fans passed around special glasses to see the solar eclipse,and they showed it on the jumbo screen. Every few minutes we would check if it was fully covered. It's interesting how you can not see it with out the glasses. It was fascinating! Besides watching the eclipse the Dodgers won 6 to 5.(Yay!) Did you know the next time it happens will be in 11 years.


    Sincerely,
    Brenden

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    Replies
    1. ♥ᇱEll♥eᇱ♥May 24, 2012 at 6:05 PM

      Dear Brenden,

      Thanks for the compliments about the pictures. That sounds really cool that the fans all pasted around the special glasses just to see the eclipse. Did you like seeing the eclipse? Well if you didn't have the glasses you wouldn't be able to see it because the sun is to bright.

      No, I did not know that the next eclipse will be in eleven years. By then I will be twenty years old. Where did you find that fact?


      Your class mate,
      ♥ᇱEll♥eᇱ♥

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  7. Dear Ellie,

    Great post. What time did you see the solar eclipse. I saw the solar eclipse at 5:00.It was my first time seeing a solar eclipse. How about yours?

    Sincerely,
    Jakob

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    Replies
    1. Dear Jakob,

      I love your comment. I saw the eclipse at five o'clock too. This is also my first time seeing an eclipse. I treasured seeing the eclipse because it was really fun watching the moon going over it more and more. Why did you like it?


      Sincerely,
      ♥Ell♥e♥

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  8. Ellie,I am so proud of you! My 8th grade students do not know how to do what you can do. The story was well written and exciting to read. You gave me lots of facts about snakes that I did not know and you followed up with photographs and research. You made me want to know more about rattlesnakes and about your friend living in a rattlesnake area. I think a great story is when the reader is left with new facts and wants to know more. If I were your teacher I would give you an A. But, since I am your grandmother I will give you a big hug and know that I have a very smart granddaughter who will be teaching me a lot! Love, Nana

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