By Reegan Davis Saunders for Signal Akron

A total solar eclipse will cross Northeast Ohio the afternoon of Monday, April 8 and Greater Cleveland is one of the best places to view the celestial event.
It is the first time since 1806 Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. As we get closer to the event, we are reminded that looking directly at the sun with unprotected eyes at any time can be dangerous, including during a solar eclipse.

Alexandra Williamson, an optometrist at the Cole Eye Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, said it is important to protect young eyes.

“If you are planning to view the eclipse with children, the number one thing you’re going to want to make sure that you do is prevent them from looking at the eclipse directly without protective glasses,” Williamson said. 

It is also not recommended to view the total solar eclipse through an unfiltered camera (cell or otherwise) viewfinder or lens, a telescope, binoculars or any other optical device. 

Is it possible to photograph the eclipse? 

While it is possible to photograph the eclipse, it is not recommended to do so without a certified solar filter, according to B&H Photo Video. 

Photographers should avoid pointing a camera at the sun without a certified solar filter and should not look through the viewfinder of an unfiltered SLR, digital or cell phone camera. Not only can the concentrated unfiltered sunlight damage the equipment, specifically the camera’s sensor, but it can cause damage to the eye.

Are there alternative total solar eclipse viewing options?

Indirect viewing options, such as pinhole projectors made from paper or cereal boxes, are an alternative for viewing the eclipse before, during and after the point of totality, which will occur from 3:14 to 3:17 p.m. 

One of the simplest methods of creating a pinhole projector only requires viewers to poke a hole in a white sheet of paper. Williamson explained that by turning your back to the sun and holding the paper so the sunbeams shine through, a shadow will be cast on the ground. 

“And as the eclipse starts to happen, the moon, as it starts to come in front of the sun, you’ll see the shadow of the moon in your little view there,” Williamson said. “And then, once it’s fully covered, that’s when you can turn around and look.”

Williamson said the pinhole projector method is a good option for children because it can be used for a group and removes the question of whether the children are accidentally looking at the sun without eye protection. 

Find additional news and information about the April 8 solar eclipse here.