On a day when you are recommended to look up, here’s how you shouldn’t during the April 8 total solar eclipse.
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will be visible from North America as it makes its path from Texas all the way northeast to Maine. This path of totality indicates when and where the 31.6 million people living along that path are expected to see the eclipse happening, weather pending, according to NBC News.
Now despite the moon blotting out the sun, it is never safe to look directly at the sun. During an eclipse, viewers are recommended to look at the sun using specific eclipse glasses or solar filters. These filters should have International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12312-2:2015 certification along with the manufacturer’s name and address printed somewhere on the product, according to the National Park Service.
“It is never safe to look at the sun without solar filters during any other phases of the eclipse, or if you are viewing a partial or annular eclipse,” the parks service said. “Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun.”
The agency added that solar filters without ISO information; that are torn, scratched or have wrinkled lenses; are coming loose from their frames; or were made in 2015 should not be used to look at the eclipse.
Various websites are selling solar filter glasses to ensure no one looks up at the sun on April 8 without proper protection.
Signs of eye damage due to looking at an eclipse can include blurry vision, headache, a blind spot in your central vision in one or both eyes, increased sensitivity to light, distorted vision and changes in the way one sees color, known as “dyschromatopsia,” according to the academy.
The National Park Service recommends the following before using solar filters to look at the eclipse.
- Inspect your solar filter before use – if it’s scratched or damaged, discard it and find a new filter.
- Before looking at the sun, put on your eclipse glasses or hold your handheld solar viewer up to your eyes.
- After viewing the sun with your solar filter, turn away from the sun before removing. Do not remove your solar filter while looking at the sun.
- If you are within the path of totality, you can remove your solar filter only when the moon completely covers the sun’s face and it suddenly gets very dark. As soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, reapply your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases.
