As you may have heard, a solar eclipse will occur across parts of the United States on April 8th. For those lucky enough to be in the path of totality on that day, it will be a total solar eclipse. Those not in the path of totality everywhere else in the U.S. will see a partial eclipse. No matter where you are on that day, there are important precautions to remember.
According to NASA, it is only safe to look directly at the Sun with specialized eye protection for solar viewing that meets the ISO 12312-2 Standard for Solar Viewers. Do NOT use regular sunglasses. If you’re in the path of totality, you can remove solar glasses ONLY during the brief phase of a total solar eclipse when the Moon completely blocks the Sun's bright face.
You can find a list of suppliers of safe solar viewers & filters by the American Astronomical Society here - https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters
Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.
𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐞:
😎 View the Sun through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer during the partial eclipse phases before and after totality. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses. No matter how dark, regular sunglasses are unsafe for viewing the Sun.
➡️ You can view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection only when the Moon completely obscures the Sun's bright face – during the brief and spectacular period known as totality. (You'll know it's safe when you can no longer see any part of the Sun through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer.)
✅ As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright Sun reappear after totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the Sun.
🚫 Do NOT use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with cameras, binoculars, or telescopes. Those require different types of solar filters.
According to the American Optometric Association, if you experience discomfort or vision problems following the eclipse, visit your local doctor of optometry for an in-person comprehensive eye exam. Note that it can take a few hours to a few days after viewing the solar eclipse to realize damage has occurred.
Some common symptoms include:
→ Loss of central vision,
→ Distorted vision, and
→ Altered color vision.
All symptoms should be treated as urgent until viewed by a doctor of optometry. If you suspect an eye or vision problem, don't hesitate to visit one—this is the best way to combat potentially severe complications, including vision loss.
𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐞𝐞:
→ https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/
→ https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety
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