Be sure to take precautions when viewing eclipse
With plenty of dangers revolving around the viewing of an eclipse, one should take every precaution not to suffer irreparable damage to the eyes while viewing the phenomena. Purchase of proper glasses or pinhole viewers are both opportunities to safely view the eclipse that will come April 8.
According to the website at www.preventblindness.org, exposing your eyes to the sun without proper eye protection during a solar eclipse can cause eclipse blindness or retinal burns, also known as solar retinopathy. This exposure to the light can cause damage or even destroy cells in the retina (the back of the eye) that transmit what you see to the brain.
Never look directly at the sun during a solar eclipse except during the very brief time the sun is in total eclipse — even then with caution. Looking directly at the sun can cause permanent damage to your eyes. After viewing a solar eclipse, seek treatment from an eye care professional if you or your child have any changes in vision that continue to get worse.
How to safely watch a solar eclipse
The only time you can safely view a solar eclipse without special equipment is during the part of a solar eclipse when the moon completely covers the sun. It is never safe to look at a partial solar eclipse without proper safety equipment or techniques.
During the very brief time the sun is in total solar eclipse, it is safe to look at it, but do so with caution. The total eclipse may last only a short period of time, and if you are looking toward the sun as the moon moves away from blocking the sun, you might get a solar burn on your retina, which can cause permanent damage.
Taking precaution now can save heartache and damage to the eyes later.
It is suggested to purchase expert-approved solar eclipse glasses to view a solar eclipse safely and without damaging your eyes. In purchasing glasses, one should make sure they meet safety requirements and are manufactured with the ISO 12312-2 standard.
There are numerous online companies including Amazon that can provide inexpensive yet effective glasses.
One safe way to experience the eclipse is through a pinhole projection. This is the safest and most inexpensive way to watch a solar eclipse. It can be a great family activity and helps viewers avoid looking directly at the eclipse by using a projected image.
To make a pinhole projection, simply make a pinhole using a thumbtack in a cardboard paper that blocks light except sunlight shining through the pinhole. Facing away from the sun, hold the piece of paper so the light from the sun can shine through the pinhole without obstruction.
Allow the sunlight shining through the pinhole to project onto a second piece of white paper that will serve as your projection screen. The piece of cardboard with the pinhole should be about 3 feet above the piece of paper used as a screen. Keep in mind not to look through the pinhole at the sun.
How not to watch a solar eclipse
—Do not use your 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 also could damage your smartphone camera.
—Do not use your 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.
—Do not use unsafe filters: Unless specifically designed for viewing a solar eclipse, no filter is safe to use with any optical devices like telescopes, phones, cameras and binoculars. All color film, black-and-white film that contains no silver, photographic negatives with images on them (X-rays and snapshots), smoked glass, sunglasses (single or multiple pairs), photographic neutral density filters, and polarizing filters are unsafe filters to watch a solar eclipse. Also, solar filters designed for eyepieces that come with inexpensive telescopes are unsafe. All of these items can increase your risk of damaging your eyes.