High-precision linear stage; brushless DC motor; 52 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 cts./rev. resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422; incremental linear encoder, 20 µm sensor signal period, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

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High-precision linear stage; 2-phase stepper motor; 102 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 45 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw

While the Planetary Society also offers instructions for box or projector viewers that are more "fancy," as they put it, it doesn't get easier than their simple pinhole paper projector.

Physik Instrumente

Peeking directly at the eclipse before it reaches totality without proper eye protection can cause permanent eye damage, experts have warned, making glasses a necessity for safe viewing. But, as the day approaches, they may become harder to find.

As a reminder, none of these options allow you to look directly at the eclipse: you need special eclipse glasses for that.

High-precision linear stage; DC motor; 102 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental linear encoder, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

Luckily, people who didn't manage to get their hands on glasses are not completely down and out. There are other safe ways to view the eclipse, say experts, and a lot of them only require a little bit of craftiness and items you can find lying around the house.

High-precision linear stage; 2-phase stepper motor; 155 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 45 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental linear encoder, 5 nm sensor resolution, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

High-precision linear stage; 2-phase stepper motor; 52 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 45 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw

High-precision linear stage; DC gear motor; 102 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 6 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 4096 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

Delaystage

High travel accuracy and load capacity thanks to recirculating ball bearing guides. Precision ball screw with 2 mm pitch. Stress-relieved aluminum base for high stability. Noncontact optical limit switches. Noncontact optical reference switch with direction sensing in the middle of the travel range.

High-precision linear stage; brushless DC motor; 155 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 cts./rev. resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422; incremental linear encoder, 20 µm sensor signal period, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

High-precision linear stage; DC gear motor; 52 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 6 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 4096 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

High-precision linear stage; DC motor; 52 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

High-precision linear stage; brushless DC motor; 155 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 cts./rev. resolution; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

NewportStage

High-precision linear stage; brushless DC motor; 52 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 cts./rev. resolution; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

High-precision linear stage; DC motor; 155 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

High-precision linear stage; 2-phase stepper motor; 155 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 45 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw

PIStage

To make one, you'll need a cardboard tube, white paper, aluminum foil, tape and a pushpin or something else sharp to poke a small hole. According to "Let's Talk Science," you can put this viewer together with these steps:

Tip Tiltstage

High-precision linear stage; 2-phase stepper motor; 102 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 45 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental linear encoder, 5 nm sensor resolution, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

High-precision linear stage; brushless DC motor; 102 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 cts./rev. resolution; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

High-precision linear stage; DC gear motor; 155 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 6 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 4096 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

Another super easy version that requires no crafting? A kitchen colander. An ordinary kitchen colander can easily be used to view a solar eclipse in the same way as other projector viewers; the colander's circular holes project crescent images of the sun onto the ground.

PI XYstage

High-precision linear stage; DC motor; 102 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 counts/rev sensor resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422

This NASA project uses components you almost certainly already have at home. Using a cereal box, cardboard, foil, paper, scissors and tape or glue, you can put together this projection eclipse viewer.

High-precision linear stage; DC motor; 155 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental linear encoder, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

While cities brace for traffic, schools brace for absences and space enthusiasts are planning parties, the glasses that enable safe viewing of the eclipse have become something of a hot commodity.

Positioners with Electric Motors: DT-xx / HPS-170 / L-xxx / LS-xxx / PRS-xxx / RS-40 / UPL-120 / VT-80 / WT-xx / WT-xxx

Pi air bearing stages

High-precision linear stage; DC motor; 52 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental linear encoder, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

High-precision linear stage; brushless DC motor; 102 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 90 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental rotary encoder, 20000 cts./rev. resolution, A/B quadrature, RS-422; incremental linear encoder, 20 µm sensor signal period, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

Noncontact optical linear encoders measure the position directly at the platform with the greatest accuracy. Nonlinearity, mechanical play or elastic deformation have no influence on the measurement.

Sticking with the theme of using items you can easily find around the house, tube viewers can be made using cardboard tubes from household items like paper towels or toilet paper rolls. You can also use thick cardstock rolled up and taped to make your own tube.

High-precision linear stage; 2-phase stepper motor; 52 mm travel range; 500 N load capacity; 45 mm/s maximum velocity; ball screw; incremental linear encoder, 5 nm sensor resolution, sin/cos, 1 V peak-peak

Pi piezostage

To make the "fancier" version, you'll need 2 index cards (larger, 5-by-7 or A5 cards work better for this) or small paper plates for each person, a pencil, pushpins and a towel, sweatshirt, blanket, flattened corrugated cardboard box, carpet, or other soft substrate to place underneath card during pin pushing.

To make it, you only need two index cards (3-by-5 or A6 or A7 size) or small paper plates for each person and basic pushpins. Simply use the pushpin to punch a small hole close to the middle of one of the cards and you're done.