Our cub scouts can earn the 2024 Solar Eclipse patch by doing the following requirements:
- Locate a site suitable for viewing the eclipse. There are lots of good sources out there, but I’m partial to NASA’s official site, which lists all the major cities over which the eclipse will cross, with the exact times that Scouts and families need to be ready.
- Describe how to safely view the eclipse. It is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing. This includes looking at it through binoculars, a telescope or your phone’s camera. Solar viewing glasses are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses. Look for solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. You can also safely view an eclipse using an indirect viewing method, such as Scout Life’s shoebox viewer.
- Discuss with your group what you saw and felt during the eclipse. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. Depending on how close you are to the path of totality, you may see the sky darken considerably. Depending on the weather, you could see stars, as if it were nighttime. In some instances, night creatures might even come out.
- Discuss what a solar eclipse is with your leaders.
If your scout has completed these requirements, please fill out the form below so we can order his or her Patch.