An amazing annular eclipse of the sun was due to occur in the western states today. An eclispe of this level is not due for another 50 or so years so I was eager to experience it to the fullest. Griffith Observatory had special UV filter glasses for sale for $2.99 and they also had a special telescope for viewing. But they sold out of the glasses and traffic was terrible to get to the Observatory due to many delays and detours from road closures for a bike race called the Amgen Tour of California. Plus, there was the LA Kings hockey semi-finals game 4 against Phoenix and the Clippers NBA game 4 against the Spurs all happening today.
So I skipped Griffith and decided to do the pinhole method of viewing with a pin-sized hole in a piece of loos leaf paper and my back to the sun. So I headed out to the park with my shades and pin-hole paper and joined a group of others viewing from the lawn. At exactly 6:38 PM the maximum effects were seen for LA . Two guys were using the binocular method with the crescent moon reflected on a small piece of paper then they tried my pinhole which showed the fingernail-like crescent moon much better especially showing some of the ring of fire flare ups and flames.
We viewed the eclipse this way for a while until another guy, who said he works at a hospital, handed us a dark x-ray film to view the eclipse through. I had heard somewhere years ago that viewing an eclipse through x-ray film was safe and the local news had not said it wasn't so I put on my dark shades and used the x-ray film to look at the sun directly but very briefly- And it was amazing!!!!
Scriptural reference:
God stops the sun for Joshua
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