Blogger / 11 August, 2026 / Nanny Anita

How To Make A Pin Hole Camera For The Eclipse

I first wrote this piece on how to make a pin hole camera back in March 2015 when we had a partial eclipse.  And it you read that first paragraph, it is right there that the next one will take place on 12th August 2026, well that is tomorrow.  Therefore I have resurrected the post so that if you have forgotten to buy glasses to watch the eclipse, you can just make your own pin hole camera.  Don’t forget that it starts 18:17, it reaches its peak at 19:12, and finishes at 20:06.  As it is happening so late in the day, you will need be up high or get to a big open space to get a clear view of the sun.  These are some of the best spots in London to see it:

• Telegraph Hill, near Nunhead, Lewisham

• Primrose Hill, north of Regent’s Park

• Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath

• Crystal Palace Park on the Norwood Ridge

• Greenwich Park – Visitors can either buy a standard Royal Observatory admission ticket to join a public partial solar eclipse viewing session hosted by the Flamsteed Astronomy Society near the Dolphin Sundial from 16:00 to 20:00 or view the eclipse for free around the park.

How exciting, the last full eclipse (which is a very rare event) took place in 1999, and I remember exactly what I was doing; it was the school holidays and I was at home with our cleaner Carol, using our Blue Peter styled pinhole camera to watch the event.  Don’t worry though, if you miss this one you will only have to wait until 12^th August 2026 for the next partial eclipse or until 2090 until the next total eclipse in Britain.

So what is a solar eclipse?  It is when the moon moves directly between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow onto Earth’s surface.  Those in the centre of the shadow will get to experience the full eclipse.  The best place tomorrow to view the eclipse will be in Northern Scotland, in London we will get an 85-90% eclipse.

If you don’t have special eclipse glasses (normal sunglasses wont protect your eyes) to view the event you can make your own pinhole camera using common household objects.  I cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to look directly at the sun during the eclipse.  The suns rays are so powerful that they can burn the back of your retina and cause blindness.

Make sure you follow my science board on Pinterest for more ideas.  Don’t forget to save the pin for later.

To make your own pinhole camera you will need:

• 2 pieces of paper
• Tin foil
• Pin
• Tape
• Scissors

Cut a hole in the middle of one of your pieces of paper.

Tape the tin foil over the hole.

Use the pin to make a small hole in the foil.

As the eclipse takes place put the intact piece of paper on the ground.  Stand with your back to the eclipse and hold up the paper with the foil on it.  The image of the eclipse should appear on the paper on the ground.  The further away you hold the paper from the ground the bigger the projected image will be.  Try putting the paper on the ground in the shade so that the image will be more defined.

You can also use a mirror to reflect the image onto a pale wall. However you decide to watch the eclipse tomorrow be smart and be safe.  Happy viewing everyone.

Pin for later: