Watch the eclipse safely with mirror projection
A small hand mirror provides an effective way of watching the eclipse
safely. We use it to project an image of the Sun onto a suitable surface
such as a wall. One might think that the projected light of the Sun will
have the shape of the mirror, but this is only true if the mirror is close
to the wall. The pictures below show this.
Mirror projection is an easy way for large groups of people to watch the
eclipse.
Click on the picture for the full
image.
Mirror 8 cm x 5 cm held 2 metres from a shadowed wall.
Projected sunlight has the shape of the mirror.
Click on the picture for the full
image.
Mirror 8 cm x 5 cm held 10 metres from a shadowed
wall.
Projected sunlight is now halfway between the rectangular shape of
the mirror and the round shape of the Sun.
Click on the picture for the full
image.
Mirror 8 cm x 5 cm held 50 metres from a shadowed wall.
Projected sunlight now shows the round shape of the Sun, not the
rectangular shape of the mirror.
The person holding the mirror sees an
image of the Sun which appears the same size as the real Sun appears in the
sky.
Do not let the reflected sunlight shine into anybody's eyes. They will
be dazzled and eye damage may result.
www.hartrao.ac.za/other/eclipse2002/mirror.html
Last updated 2002/10/14 by
mike@hartrao.ac.za
.
since 2002/10/14
