Surprisingly, even at mid eclipse it won't seem any darker than normal because your eyes will adjust to the reduction in sunlight, nor is it likely to feel any cooler. Most people won't even notice that an eclipse is underway unless they are told. Observing the eclipse Extreme care must be taken when observing the eclipse, because of the blinding brilliance of the Sun. Never, ever look directly at the Sun through binoculars or a telescope, for you will risk permanent eye damage. Even staring at the Sun is dangerous, and sunglasses are no protection.
Hospitals regularly see patients who have damaged their eyes while watching eclipses.
The best and safest way to observe the Sun is to project its image onto a light-coloured surface with binoculars or telescope. This has the added advantage that a group of people can watch at once. Clamp the instrument firmly on a tripod or, if you have binoculars, simply hand-hold them. You will notice a slight 'boiling' of the image caused by air currents, like looking through a heat haze. Do so by taping a cardboard disk over the front of the tube, with a hole about 3 inches wide cut in it.