We recently had quite a spectacle in the United States, with a Solar Eclipse reaching totality throughout a large portion of the United States. Being that this was the first solar eclipse passing through the Continental US since 1979, excitement ran wild on capturing this natural event using the best camera gear available.

But with such excitement, came a treasure trove of warnings. Warnings that this event can easily damage your camera, your lens, and your eyes if you do not have the proper protection. With all of our rentals leading up to this event, we warned everyone to view the event with appropriate eyewear and to attach a solar filter to the end of their lenses to protect the lens elements and camera sensor.

But despite our warnings, we still expected gear to come back damaged and destroyed.

The most common problem we’ve encountered with damage done by the eclipse was sensors being destroyed by the heat. We warned everyone in a blog post to buy a solar filter for your lens, and also sent out mass emails and fliers explaining what you need to adequately protect the equipment. But not everyone follows the rules, and as a result, we have quite a few destroyed sensors.

Overall, we were really impressed with how few pieces of gear we got back damaged. And of the things returned, we were equally impressed with our customer-base, and their guilt and owning up to the damage. Unfortunately, these types of damage are considered neglect, as warnings were given out to customers before the solar eclipse. Our LensCap insurance plan, which can be added to rentals for a small nominal fee, does not protect from neglect but is an excellent tool for those who are worried about their rental and want to protect themselves from any accidental damage.

In the days and weeks leading up to the total solar eclipse over the United States last month, there were plenty of warnings for spectators: make sure you protect your eyes and camera equipment. LensRentals, a Tennessee-based camera store, rented out a number of lenses before the event and warned customers to make sure that they use solar filters. Not everyone did.

The store posted up a series of images on its blog, showing some of the cameras that were damaged during the eclipse. Blog editor Zach Sutton wrote that they weren’t out to criticize their customers, but wanted to show what happened, and that it’s fortunate that they have a repairs department.

The most common problem, Sutton wrote, was damage to sensors and shutters, but that they also saw damage to mirrors, lens irises, and even some built-in filter systems.

back here in 2017, everyone is focused on Aug. 21. Under the path of the eclipse, schools will be closed, traffic will be a nightmare, and hotel rooms at the Days Inn are on offer for $1,600 a night.

Absolute faith in eclipse predictions

What is remarkable among all this excitement and frenzy is the lack of “eclipse deniers.” Nobody doubts or disputes the detailed scientific predictions of what will happen.

Not one person will argue beforehand that the jury is still out on eclipses, that scientists have tampered with the data, that eclipses are faked by NASA, that exposing children to eclipses causes autism or even that eclipses are a Chinese hoax. Across the continent, there will be climate deniers, creationists, anti-vaxxers and flat-Earthers looking upwards through their eclipse glasses, all soaking up this wondrous moment along with everyone else.

This presents a puzzle: Why do people distrust or dispute so many aspects of science, but unanimously accept, without question, the ridiculously specific predictions on offer for every eclipse?

Why the selective denial of science?

One possible reason is that we’ve been right on eclipses every time before. But for most people, a total eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most people won’t have experienced such predictions first hand, and will have to take it on trust that what’s happened before for others will happen again for them.
Another explanation might be that, unlike the case for climate change or vaccinations, the science behind eclipses is simple and uncontroversial.

The more likely answer is that eclipses are not a threat. There is nothing at stake. Eclipses do not endanger our way of life or our standard of living. Nobody fears that eclipses might have economic implications, could challenge our belief system, or threaten our children. There are no anti-eclipse lobby groups trying to set the narrative, and there are thus no well-funded advertising campaigns or scientific studies that aim to raise doubts in our minds or to subtly shape our thinking.

Eclipses are agenda-free. The science—and the resulting extraordinary experience—are left to speak for themselves.

The problem is that we don’t get to pick and choose what scientific facts or consensuses are controversial, and which are not. The same strict laws of science are everywhere.

Total solar eclipses are a strange cosmic coincidence and a remarkable, awe-inspiring experience. But they are also a profound reminder that when the emotions, money and politics are stripped away, none of us, at our core, are science deniers.

Solar eclipse glasses also work well for LED viewing
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/powersource/4374603/Solar-eclipse-glasses-also-work-well-for-LED-viewing?utm_content=bufferdce96&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

One of the occupational hazards of working with high-power LEDs and LED lights is the need/desire to look at or near the light source when it’s turned on.

And, it turns out they also work well for looking at high-brightness LEDs, especially multi-emitter LEDs, such as the matrix, or chip-on-board, or ac LEDs. It’s interesting to be able to see the architecture of all the different types of LEDs.

[Dan Julio] let us know about an exciting project that he and his team are working on at the Solid State Depot Makerspace in Boulder: the Solar Eclipse High Altitude Balloon. Weighing in at 1 kg and bristling with a variety of cameras, the balloon aims to catch whatever images are able to be had during the solar eclipse. The balloon’s position should be trackable on the web during its flight, and some downloaded images should be available as well. Links for all of that are available from the project’s page.

Solar Eclipse High Altitude Balloon
https://hackaday.io/project/26881-solar-eclipse-high-altitude-balloon

Boulder’s makerspace, Solid State Depot, is launching a high-altitude balloon in Wyoming during the Aug 21, 2017 eclipse.

As exciting as Eclipse 2017 is going to be this Monday, for some folks it might appear a bit — underwhelming. Our star only occupies about half a degree of the sky, and looking at the partial phase with eclipse glasses might leave you yearning for a bigger image. If that’s you, you’ll need to build a sun funnel for super-sized eclipse fun.

How to Super-Size the Eclipse – Sun Funnel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iejdy4f58iI

If you’ve got a telescope, give the crowd a show next week. Make the eclipse bigger! Eclipse glasses are okay, but the sun is only as big as your thumbnail at arms length. That’s not very big. I need something to impress some kindergartners! Hopefully the sun funnel can do it.

What do you do if you don’t trust cheap eclipse-watching glasses from the internet? What about if everyone’s sold out? Well, if you want to watch the eclipse and you have an auto-darkening welding helmet, you can do what [daniel_reetz] did and hack something together with a remote and your welding helmet to let you see the eclipse without blinding yourself.

MacGyver a Welding Helmet to View the Solar Eclipse
http://www.instructables.com/id/MacGuyver-a-Welding-Helmet-to-View-the-Solar-Eclip/

So. You want to watch the eclipse on Monday and you think that you don’t need any of those “safety” eclipse glasses. That’s a fantastic way to cause permanent damage to your eyes.

Unless the Sun is completely covered by the Moon, you really shouldn’t look at it directly. Even a tiny sliver of our star is bright enough to hurt you. Sunlight triggers chemical reactions in the back of your eyes, which is what allows you to see. But if you are exposed to too much light, those chemical reactions are pushed to the limit and the retina gets a chemical burn. This is called solar retinopathy.

Knowing that you’re literally burning your retinas might already be enough to discourage you looking directly at the Sun