This coming week on July 22nd the sun will ’stand still’ for a full 6 minutes and 39 seconds. This total solar eclipse will fall along a narrow corridor through northern India, eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanma, central China and the Pacific Ocean. While most of us will not be in a position to see the phenomena, SunStopper.sg and the SEMS (Sun, Earth, Moon Systems) site from the University of South Dakota will be broadcasting ‘live’ video.

The black dot on the animation below shows the narrow path of eclipse totality, which actually spans over 100 miles wide.

Scientists always say to never look directly at the sun during an eclipse and with good reason as permanent eye damage could occur. However, if you feel the need to take a peek - check out amazing solar images captured by the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft. Launched into orbit in December 1995, SOHO continues to provide amazing photographs of the sun including the ones shown below which were taken this past week.

Another way to safely view and photograph an eclipse is with the use of a pinhole camera. A pinhole camera uses a very small hole to create a lens for the light to enter and expose the film. Download and construct any of the unusual Readymech Pinhole Cameras below for free! Each download comes with complete instructions for assembly and use.

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