Observation of the sun has long been an activity with inherent dangers of eye damage not usually appreciated by the casual or lay observer. Direct viewing of bodies of intense luminosity with the naked eye is substantially impossible and even dangerous to the retina. Thus even at times of eclipse proper viewing of this phenomenon requires at least the interposition of a heavily tinted or smoked glass plate. Even in this fashion, such viewing leaves much to be desired. If intensification of the luminosity through a telescope of the like is employed, extreme hazards may befall the eye of the observer.
Many methods have been devised to overcome such problems, among them simple filters and indirect viewing mechanisms however, the cost and complexity of such mechanisms have made their use by the layman slight. Simplified systems often result in loss of much of the resolution of the body being viewed.
Green glass filters have been disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,408 issued to Krewalk for use with telescopes. Evert, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,943 also discloses a telescope adapter which allows indirect viewing in a second focal plane from the plane of the telescope eye piece. U.S. No. Re: 17,995 issued to Mitchell is essentially a size-reducing view finder which requires focusing. U.K. Pat. No. 1,071,150 issued to Zapp suffers from the direct view dangers which the present application seeks to avoid.
Although these references and the art in general discuss solar viewing with or without telescopes, a simple hand held solar viewing apparatus usable by the layman without focusing has not been disclosed.