We all know not to stare at the sun, right? Seems like common sense, but every time an eclipse comes around, a few people invariably try to watch it without special, protective eyewear and end up damaging their eyeballs.
Even during August's solar eclipse, when the moon will travel across the sun and block part of the sunlight, you cannot look directly at the sun without very strong protective eye wear. Not just sunglasses - lenses that were designed specifically to filter out enough of the light that it doesn't burn a hole through your retinas.
If you did try to look at it without your glasses, it would be "like a magnifying glass on a leaf when you were a kid," an optometrist tweeted at me.
But because I'm curious (and quite a few people have asked), I thought it would be interesting to talk about what would happen if you tried to look at the sun during the eclipse. And don't tell me it doesn't happen and people know better. That's not true.
An assessment after the same eclipse in the U.K. found fewer cases than they had feared, but 14 people still managed to damage their eyes by staring at the eclipse.
- - -
- . . . if you're in the path of totality:
When the sun is totally blocked by the moon, you can take your glasses off! Enjoy. It's beautiful.
- . . . if you're not in the path of totality:
You'll only be seeing a partial eclipse. There will be harmful sun rays for the duration of the event. Keep your eclipse glasses on through the whole thing.
Yes, you will go blind if you manage to endure the pain and stare at the sun for long enough. The pain from the visible part of the light spectrum could be extreme, but ultraviolet light - which we can't see - is what actually ruins the eye. It literally gives your eye a sunburn.
The reason a few people always end up going blind during an eclipse is that in the partial phase, the visible light is reduced enough that it's no longer painful to look at, and so people assume it's safe. But there's still plenty of UV, and that blinds them.
Depending on the sky conditions, it only takes about a minute and a half for your eyes to be permanently damaged, and the damage is cumulative, meaning you don't have to stare at the sun without looking away for it to be harmful - you may just be taking quick glances, but it's still damaging your eye.
If your eyes are damaged, your vision will at least be blurry and you may see dark or yellow spots. If it's significant damage, you may not be able to see out of the center of your eye - only your peripheral vision.
Other things you should be aware of: Some drugs dilate your pupils, which will decrease the amount of time it will take to burn the eye. People taking these drugs should always take care to wear UV-blocking sunglasses. Also, looking through a camera lens or a telescope will not protect your eyes. The latter is blatantly obvious in the video. Unless it has a filter on it that is made specifically for blocking out the harmful rays, you should not look through any lenses.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Even during August's solar eclipse, when the moon will travel across the sun and block part of the sunlight, you cannot look directly at the sun without very strong protective eye wear. Not just sunglasses - lenses that were designed specifically to filter out enough of the light that it doesn't burn a hole through your retinas.
If you did try to look at it without your glasses, it would be "like a magnifying glass on a leaf when you were a kid," an optometrist tweeted at me.
But because I'm curious (and quite a few people have asked), I thought it would be interesting to talk about what would happen if you tried to look at the sun during the eclipse. And don't tell me it doesn't happen and people know better. That's not true.
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An assessment after the same eclipse in the U.K. found fewer cases than they had feared, but 14 people still managed to damage their eyes by staring at the eclipse.
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- - -
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- . . . if you're in the path of totality:
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When the sun is totally blocked by the moon, you can take your glasses off! Enjoy. It's beautiful.
Advertisement
- . . . if you're not in the path of totality:
You'll only be seeing a partial eclipse. There will be harmful sun rays for the duration of the event. Keep your eclipse glasses on through the whole thing.
Yes, you will go blind if you manage to endure the pain and stare at the sun for long enough. The pain from the visible part of the light spectrum could be extreme, but ultraviolet light - which we can't see - is what actually ruins the eye. It literally gives your eye a sunburn.
The reason a few people always end up going blind during an eclipse is that in the partial phase, the visible light is reduced enough that it's no longer painful to look at, and so people assume it's safe. But there's still plenty of UV, and that blinds them.
Depending on the sky conditions, it only takes about a minute and a half for your eyes to be permanently damaged, and the damage is cumulative, meaning you don't have to stare at the sun without looking away for it to be harmful - you may just be taking quick glances, but it's still damaging your eye.
If your eyes are damaged, your vision will at least be blurry and you may see dark or yellow spots. If it's significant damage, you may not be able to see out of the center of your eye - only your peripheral vision.
Other things you should be aware of: Some drugs dilate your pupils, which will decrease the amount of time it will take to burn the eye. People taking these drugs should always take care to wear UV-blocking sunglasses. Also, looking through a camera lens or a telescope will not protect your eyes. The latter is blatantly obvious in the video. Unless it has a filter on it that is made specifically for blocking out the harmful rays, you should not look through any lenses.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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