Why is it bad to stare at a solar eclipse? North America's next solar eclipse is in 2017, I want to watch it. But why do I need to put on dimming glasses? Isn't the sunlight being blocked out by the moon enough to not do any harm?
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next solar eclipse
next solar eclipse
Last edited by pakhira on Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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weixing
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Re: next solar eclipse
Hi,
However, you can actually safely look at total solar eclipse using naked eye at the moment when the SUN IS 100% BLOCKED BY THE MOON.
Anyway, total solar eclipse is actually more dangerous because during the short moment of total solar eclipse, it's very dark and your eye pupil will open larger to get more light in, so when the Sun "suddenly" reappear and if you are not prepare (with solar filter on), your eye will be hit by the full intensity of the Sunlight at wide open state... that's dangerous!
By the way, dimming glass alone is not enough, the glass must also able to block UV lights.... So if you are not sure, GET AND USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER... it's doesn't cost much.
Have a nice day.
It's not totally about the brightness... it's the UV and the intensity of the brightness that is too "powerful" to be handle by our eye.pakhira wrote:Why is it bad to stare at a solar eclipse? North America's next solar eclipse is in 2017, I want to watch it. But why do I need to put on dimming glasses? Isn't the sunlight being blocked out by the moon enough to not do any harm?
However, you can actually safely look at total solar eclipse using naked eye at the moment when the SUN IS 100% BLOCKED BY THE MOON.
Anyway, total solar eclipse is actually more dangerous because during the short moment of total solar eclipse, it's very dark and your eye pupil will open larger to get more light in, so when the Sun "suddenly" reappear and if you are not prepare (with solar filter on), your eye will be hit by the full intensity of the Sunlight at wide open state... that's dangerous!
By the way, dimming glass alone is not enough, the glass must also able to block UV lights.... So if you are not sure, GET AND USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER... it's doesn't cost much.
Have a nice day.
Yang Weixing
"The universe is composed mainly of hydrogen and ignorance."
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timatworksg
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Yes! As Weixing has pointed out...this is very important. Even staring at the Sun without any eclipse can possibly blind you! Too much looking at bright lights in a very dark area will lead to eye blindness!
I will also emphasize on GET AND USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER and DON"T use any normal sunglasses or some expensive Oakley! Get the proper equipment meant for such viewing! There's a reason why it's made.
The worse part of a full eclipse is when the moon covers the sun completely and then moves out...the blast of sudden intense brightness is like a bright light shooting through a pinhole in a dark room...Lazer like!!
Don't take chances and be SAFE! Those are your only eyes for the rest of your life! Don't damage them in any way, eclipse or not!
Even too much squinting through a telescope far to many times can degrade our eyesight. When we age things like this WILL catch up!!
I will also emphasize on GET AND USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER and DON"T use any normal sunglasses or some expensive Oakley! Get the proper equipment meant for such viewing! There's a reason why it's made.
The worse part of a full eclipse is when the moon covers the sun completely and then moves out...the blast of sudden intense brightness is like a bright light shooting through a pinhole in a dark room...Lazer like!!
Don't take chances and be SAFE! Those are your only eyes for the rest of your life! Don't damage them in any way, eclipse or not!
Even too much squinting through a telescope far to many times can degrade our eyesight. When we age things like this WILL catch up!!
My wife never complained about how much time, effort & money I spent on my Astronomy hobby!................suddenly I met her!!!
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shirox
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alternatively u can buy a welding mask and wear haha saw it in one of the magazines lol
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