Can You View a Solar Eclipse With a Welding Mask?
As you know, in the solar eclipse time, if you see towards the sun, you may become blind. So, you need to wear eclipse glasses on your eyes. It may appear to your mind that can you view a solar eclipse with a welding mask. So, are you preparing your welding mask to view the eclipse?
Well, you should know about the solar eclipse and welding mask before you see the process of viewing it. You can use a welding mask to block Arc rays from damaging your eyesight. Again, a welding mask can also be used for viewing the solar eclipse.
In this content, I will share with you about the solar eclipse and welding helmets for viewing the solar eclipse. Also, I will conclude: Can you look at an eclipse with a welding mask or not? So, let’s dig into the content to gather some knowledge.
Table of Contents
What is the Solar Eclipse?
The only natural satellite to earth is the moon, and the earth revolves around the sun. Every month there appears a situation when the new moon comes to the orbit between the sun and earth.
When it happens, the moon blocks the sun’s rays. If you think that the sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, then how it’s possible? Well, the sun is bigger, but it’s also true that the sun is 400 times far from the moon also and this is why the moon can block the sun’s rays.
There are four types of a solar eclipse that we can see. They are-
- Partial Eclipse
- Annular Eclipse
- Hybrid Eclipse
- Total Eclipse
A solar eclipse lasts for less than three minutes, and if you intend to view a solar eclipse, you need to wear solar eclipse glasses. In that case, you can use your welding mask and save your eyes from getting damaged.
There are many goggles and welding lenses available to observe the solar eclipse. Have a look at them-
- Shade 14 solar eclipse glasses
- Shade 11 welding lens
- Shade 12 welding lens
- Welding goggles shade 13
Read More: What Shade Lens For MIG Welding: Other Welding Shade Lens
How does Welding Mask help to View Solar Eclipse?
You may know the reason behind using a welding helmet while welding iron or different metals. However, the shaded glass of your helmet helps you to block the spark rays anyway. The spark rays are very harmful to your eyes as the solar eclipse rays
When it is a solar eclipse and the moon is about to leave the place within less than three minutes, the sun’s rays will back simultaneously. The rays from the sun are hazardous to your eyes, and so experts recommend wearing solar glasses.
How Should Your Welding Helmet view the solar eclipse? Here’s the answer-
- The glass shade should be from darkness 11 to shade 13
- You should ensure that the glass is thick enough.
- You should not see the eclipse for a long time with your welding mask.
So, can you use a welding helmet to look at the sun? Look, the sun rays in general time and the rays from the eclipse time are not the same. You can look at the sun with your shaded 11 to 13 welding lens if you want to and in eclipse time too.
What You Should Avoid During a Solar Eclipse?
Are you thinking of using a welding mask to view the eclipse? If yes, then you should know that NASA had published some guidelines to view the solar eclipse. According to NASA’s guidelines, there are certain things that you can’t do while looking at the solar eclipse.
- If the looking glasses don’t have certification and meet the requirement of ISO 12312-2, then you can’t use that.
- It would help if you avoided homemade filters to view the sun and the solar eclipse.
- Don’t use a lens or welding glass, which is older than three years.
- It would help if you never used ordinary dark glasses to look at the eclipse.
- None should use binoculars or a telescope with a welding mask.
Frequently Asked Questions
Until you are following NASA’s guidelines to view a solar eclipse, you are safe. All you need to do is use a glass that has 11 to 13 dark shades.
You need to set up a remote controller in your helmet to control your helmet darkening automatically, and you can check it by pressing the remote. It’s a newly crafted way to do so.
It’s all about the distance, though. The sun is brighter, but it is so far away from the earth, and that’s why the welding arc is brighter to look at the shortest distance.
Final Note
I hope that you have understood that can you view a solar eclipse with a welding mask or not. My request to you will be to follow NASA’s guidelines correctly. So that any damage to your eyes doesn’t occur. Always try to stay safe and sound.
Read More: Why Is My Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Not Working?