[Stratoscope]

In fact I viewed the 1976 total eclipse in Oregon with binoculars.

It was a glorious sight, an experience of a lifetime.

I was on a hillside near The Dalles with other eclipse chasers. Many of us wore sunglasses and looked away from the sun before totality to get our eyes a bit dark-adapted. And then when someone called out "totality!" we turned around, took off the sunglasses and used our binoculars or telescopes if we had them, and viewed the corona directly.

And no, no eye damage.