Solar Eclipse Safety
Solar eclipse will take place on August 21st
Everyone is excited about the upcoming solar eclipse on August 21st because it’s a rare and brief phenomenon that hasn’t happened since 1979. Plus, many states in the U.S. are on the path of the eclipse, which is why people are flocking to these areas which will host special events that day. The one thing you have to worry about when a solar eclipse happens is to protect your eyes.
How do you protect your eyes from an eclipse?
The last time there was an eclipse there wasn’t as much technology as there is today and if you’re thinking about taking photos on your smartphone or using a telescope to catch it, you mustn’t. It’s unsafe to look at the sun with your naked eye on a regular day. If you’ve ever done so in the past, you know that you start seeing spots afterward until your vision readjusts itself. With a solar eclipse, it’s especially dangerous to look at the sun directly because it can cause blindness. That’s why you should NOT look at the eclipse with your naked eyes, sunglasses, smartphone, binoculars, or a telescope. If you do decide to look at it, make sure you’re wearing solar eclipse protection glasses.
These eclipse glasses are specially designed with solar filters and if you’re going to purchase online, make sure you purchase those with ISO 12312-2, which is a designation that indicates that the glasses have met an international safety standard. If you’re not sure, make sure you check out the American Astronomical Society‘s list of approved brands. Also, make sure that when you receive a pair of these glasses that they don’t have scratched surfaces because that would make them unsafe.
