2024 Solar Eclipse

Protected PC wants your computers and network to be safe, but we want your eyes to be safe too!

See below for Eye Safety Tips, Fun Experiments, and an exclusive offer to celebrate the eclipse!

*Protected PC does not accept any responsibility for eye damage.  NEVER look at the sun without approved solar eclipse glasses!

Eye Safety for the Solar Eclipse (Link)

Observing a solar eclipse can be an amazing experience, but it's crucial to prioritize eye safety. Looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can cause permanent eye damage or even blindness. Here are some tips for safely viewing a solar eclipse:

1. Use Proper Eye Protection: The only safe way to directly view a solar eclipse is through special-purpose solar filters or eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. Regular sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not sufficient to protect your eyes. Eclipse glasses are made with special solar filters that block out harmful ultraviolet and infrared rays as well as intense visible light.
2. Check for Damage: Before using eclipse glasses, inspect them for any damage such as scratches, pinholes, or wrinkles. If they are damaged, do not use them.
3. Don't Remove Glasses Prematurely: Do not remove your eclipse glasses while looking at the sun during the eclipse. Only when the sun is completely covered by the moon (total eclipse phase) is it safe to look at the eclipse without eye protection. Use your eclipse glasses to monitor when it's safe to view without them.
4. Don't look at the eclipse through a camera, binoculars, or telescope: You need special lenses to make it safe to view through any magnifying devices or a camera.
5. View the eclipse on Nasa's YouTube channel (Link): If it is cloudy, or you want to see telescopic views of the eclipse, check out this alternate Nasa live stream (Link)!

In the Raleigh area:
Eclipse begins at 1:58pm
Peaks at 3:15pm
Ends at 4:29pm.

Fun Activities

Observing a solar eclipse can be an amazing experience, but it's crucial to prioritize eye safety. Looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can cause permanent eye damage or even blindness. Here are some tips for safely viewing a solar eclipse:

1. Wear Red and Green! (Link): The colors will appear to become darker or brighter!  This is called the Purkinje shift.
   (Note: you need to be wearing eclipse glasses to experience this effect)
2. Grab a kitchen colander (with round holes): You'll be able to see several tiny images of the eclipse!  Make sure the sun is behind you.
   (Note: when looking at the ground, you don't need to wear your eclipse glasses!
   
3. Create a box pinhole viewer: This is handy if you don't have eclipse glasses.
   1. The box should be LONGER than 18" or the image will be small!
   2. Open the lid of the box (where you see the person's head below)
   3. Trace a quarter (where you see the black hole on the left).  Cut out that circle of the box.
   4. Cover the quarter size hole with a piece of aluminum foil
   5. Poke ONE pin size hole in the middle of the foil through the hole.  Use a pushpin for a bulletin board for the correct size.
   6. Tape a piece of white paper to the box on the opposite side of the pin hole.
   7. Close the flaps of the box, tape them closed.
      Cut a hole large enough for your head to allow you to look inside!
      (only down to your nose)
      
4. With the sun behind trees, look at the ground.  The trees will act like pin-hole projectors and show many mini eclipses on the ground

Special offer for the eclipse event!

We would love to give you a free network security analysis at work! We will check for vulnerabilities, security risks, internet safety, and email protection.  We will give you a report on where your company stands when compared to industry standards.

Click to schedule a quick 15 minute intro call to get started!