I've been given Welder's glass with the following stamped on it, EN169 11
MUREX
Anyone know if these are safe for viewing a Solar Eclipse?
Thanks
- posted
16 years ago
Welders Glass for viewing Solar Eclipse
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- posted
16 years ago
To clarify,
Two lenses have EN169 11 MUREX, and the other two have EN169 SH11 stamped
on them.
- posted
16 years ago
When we had the last eclipse in the UK the welding shops did sell a lot
of filters which normally there was not a lot of call for, like 16 or
more IIRC. From what I remember a shade 11 is not sufficient to provide
adequate protection for direct viewing. A good place to ask, if you
can't find the info on the web, would be a local astronomy club.
Gareth Slee wrote:
Gareth Slee wrote:
- posted
16 years ago
Use a pinhole in a sheet of something opaque. You'll get a nice
projection of the eclipse. I remember one partial eclipse here in
Oregon. It was a clear spring day, with the sun slanting through the
trees making a nice dappled shade -- except that the light spots weren't
round.
- posted
16 years ago
I've *heard* that AWS#14 shade is good for viewing the Sun during
eclipses.
Because the local welding suppliers get a rush sale of these every time an eclipse is coming up.
That is in Cambridge, UK - where there are astronomers and scientists.
Richard S.
Because the local welding suppliers get a rush sale of these every time an eclipse is coming up.
That is in Cambridge, UK - where there are astronomers and scientists.
Richard S.
- posted
16 years ago
I have used welding hoods with #10 filters in the past without pain. My
seeing eye dog is not familiar with MUREX numbering, but he says that
looks like a #11 filter which should be darker than a #10.
I can't speak to whether you might get damage without it causing pain.
Bob
I can't speak to whether you might get damage without it causing pain.
Bob
- posted
16 years ago
I have watched solar eclipses using two stacked arc welding filters. The
disc is clearly visible, but way less bright than a full moon.
- posted
16 years ago
I can't comment on whether a #11 will be dark enough, but I'd strongly
encourage you to also add a piece of clear plastic, or wear sunglasses
with plastic lenses as well as they will kill any UV which the welding
lens (being glass) will not do as efficiently. Pretty well all forms of
plastic are very effective absorbers of UV.
Cheers Glenn
Cheers Glenn
- posted
16 years ago
Huh? If the filters are for any form of arc welding they have to be good
at stopping UV. You can get a sunburn on bare skin from TIG so there's
plenty of UV there.
If I remember the discussions here about auto-darkening helmets, even if you forget to turn them on and get a quick flash from the arc, it won't really hurt your eyes because the filter, even undarkened, will stop most of the UV.
Now don't take this to say any old arc welding filter will be good for looking at the sun. Just that any filter dark enough to look at the sun should also block the UV.
If I remember the discussions here about auto-darkening helmets, even if you forget to turn them on and get a quick flash from the arc, it won't really hurt your eyes because the filter, even undarkened, will stop most of the UV.
Now don't take this to say any old arc welding filter will be good for looking at the sun. Just that any filter dark enough to look at the sun should also block the UV.
- posted
16 years ago
Don't forget that most helmets have a plastic safety cover over the lens...
That said, I once had a Tasco telescope that came with a "sun filter" that screwed into the eyepiece - about a #11, IIRC - for direct viewing of the sun's corona.
That said, I once had a Tasco telescope that came with a "sun filter" that screwed into the eyepiece - about a #11, IIRC - for direct viewing of the sun's corona.
- posted
16 years ago
Tasco - dangerous. Not so much for the eye - but the telescope.
The lenses overheat and crack.
My 8" telescope uses a front 8" wide type of gold covered filter. Lower cost ones have a 4" circle on one side. Keeps the eye safe and the glass cool. Martin
Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member
RAM³ wrote:
My 8" telescope uses a front 8" wide type of gold covered filter. Lower cost ones have a 4" circle on one side. Keeps the eye safe and the glass cool. Martin
Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member
RAM³ wrote:
- posted
16 years ago
I haven't seen a spectrum for UV output from a welder but suspect it is
mostly longer wave UV. There is substantial short wave UV from the sun.
Moot point whether a welding filter is designed to filter the same
bandwidth of UV. That's why I suggested the plastic. My helmet has a
protective clear plastic element in front of the filter. It all helps.
Better safe than sorry.
G
Better safe than sorry.
G
- posted
16 years ago
This one had a cap-on-a-cap: a silver-dollar-sized cap on the larger 4.5"
cap.
Solar viewing was through the small hole, IIRC.
[I gave the 'scope to my sister over 20 years ago for the benefit of her pre-teen sons and haven't seen it since.]
Solar viewing was through the small hole, IIRC.
[I gave the 'scope to my sister over 20 years ago for the benefit of her pre-teen sons and haven't seen it since.]
- posted
16 years ago
It's good to have some filtering and contrasting to show edges and lines.
It is used to look for the black holes that appear on the sun - sun-spots.
And when lucky - a loop of plasma flowing in the magnetic field in an arc.
Martin
Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member
RAM³ wrote:
Martin
Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member
RAM³ wrote:
- posted
16 years ago
Try looking through a piece of steel - it's dark enough.
Greg
Greg
- posted
16 years ago
I did the same thing about fifteen years ago during a pretty good eclipse in
Las Vegas. Just a piece of paper with a hole poked in it. I was surprised
how good an image I got with it, and wasn't looking even towards the sun.
Steve
Steve
- posted
16 years ago
probabably the potential for staring at it longer than would otherwise
be possible...due to the overall reduced brightness
Brent Phili> What DOES make looking at an eclipse so much worse than looking at the
Brent Phili> What DOES make looking at an eclipse so much worse than looking at the
- posted
16 years ago
What DOES make looking at an eclipse so much worse than looking at the
sun or a regular day?
- posted
16 years ago
As it gets darker, the iris of the eye opens wider allowing for more
potential damage to the retina and rods & cones. Similar in effect to
dark sunglasses without any UV protective lens. At full eclipse, it's
like twilight and the iris is nearly wide open.
This site will give you more than you ever wanted to know about eclipse viewing safety.
This site will give you more than you ever wanted to know about eclipse viewing safety.
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