Can you go blind looking at an eclipse

ET on Monday. But those who watch this rare celestial event in person need to take precautions, because staring right at the sun can quickly harm your eyes. The path of totality, which is about 70 miles wide, is viewable from parts of 14 states, as shown on this solar eclipse map , and only lasts a maximum of two minutes and 40 seconds, according to NASA. Before and after the total solar eclipse, those in its path will see a partial eclipse, in which the moon only partly blocks the sun. The rest of the country will also see a partial eclipse — so essentially, everyone needs to prepare themselves to view the eclipse safely.

According to experts, viewing the sun with your naked eye during the eclipse can burn your retina, damaging the images your brain can view. It is not possible to go completely blind from looking at the eclipse, Chou said, because the injury is limited to the central part of your visual field.

For these people, the only solution is working with an eye doctor to adapt to life without central vision. Additional consequences of retinal damage caused by looking at a solar eclipse are distorted vision and altered color vision. The only safe way to look at a solar eclipse at any time other than totality is by wearing eclipse glasses, which filter out UV radiation. There are also devices you can buy or build — such as a pinhole projector — which allow you to safely view the shadow of the eclipse.

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Keep in mind not to look through the pinhole at the sun. This glass will reduce the harmful rays that are emitted during the eclipse. Do not use if there are any scratches or damage to the glass. Mylar filters : Aluminized mylar plastic sheets are available as eclipse vision glasses or can be cut and made into a viewing box. Do not use if there are any scratches or damage to the sheet. Other ways : Other ways to safely watch a solar eclipse is on television or at the planetarium. Be careful about how you watch a solar eclipse.

It is not recommended to view it in the following ways:. Smartphone : Watching a solar eclipse on your smartphone camera can put you at risk of accidentally looking at the sun when trying to line up your camera. It could possibly also damage your smartphone camera. Camera viewfinder : Never look at a solar eclipse through the optical viewfinder of a camera.

It can damage your eyes in the same way as looking directly at it. Skip to content. Dangers of the Sun First of all, any time that you stare at the sun, the strong rays can kill cells in your retina. In fact, you should never look directly at the sun. Solutions for Viewing an Eclipse There are a few options for safely viewing these rare events. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Schedule An Appointment. Download Patient Forms. Personal Health Record.

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