Does the eclipse blind you?

Ah, the eclipse! That celestial event that sends everyone into a frenzy of excitement. Most people want to experience it with their own eyes; others are just happy proclaiming on social media how cool it is (virtue signaling at its finest). As with everything that goes viral, rumors start making rounds too. One of them is whether an eclipse can blind you. In this article, we’ll get to the bottom of this question even if we need to use our special lunar powers.

What Is An Eclipse?

An eclipse happens when one celestial body passes in front of another blocking all or part of its light source temporarily. It’s like that time your sibling sat between you and the TV because they thought it was amusing watching you trying to peek from behind them.

There are two types: solar eclipses and lunar eclipses. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the Earth and Sun while a lunar eclipse happens when Earth casts a shadow on Moon (because she did not wear her SPF-fifty UVA/UVB protection).

How To Watch An Eclipse Safely

To watch an astronomical event safely, there are some precautions you can take:

• The best trick? Don’t stare directly at Sol without proper eye protection unless you’re ready for extra motivation tips on using Siri or Alexa.
• Use specialized glasses designed explicitly for viewing constellations events—the kind astronomers use or steal from science museums.
• Make yourself an old-fashioned pinhole projector—no smartphones allowed!
• Put telescope filters over binoculars lenses (this won’t work well but makes great Instagram stories)

So theoretically speaking, as long as we follow these techniques’ sound ways should enable us view any super galactic occasion without experiencing temporary blindness or other significant eye damage such as cosmic Botox injections administered by aliens.

Once upon a time ago back in 1979, After three years of grassroots promotion efforts, the Canadian government issued 5 million free eclipse glasses through local media outlets for safe viewing (nowadays the same could happen, but instead with self-proclaimed experts on YouTube).

Is It Safe To Watch A Solar Eclipse Directly?

The debate is still out there regarding staring directly at an eclipse. Some claim it causes blindness while others say it’s perfectly fine if viewed correctly (with specialized equipment such as John Cena’s sunglasses). Scientists explain that the solar radiation coming from a partially eclipsed Sun can seriously damage your retinas.

In simpler terms enjoyed by non-astronomers among us: DON’T LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT! You’ll end up regretting it more than those party pictures from last weekend.

What Happens When Your Eye Meets The Sun

Anytime you stare straight at Sol—solar rays enter your eyes which cause intense lighting scenarios leading to retina burns before you finish reciting “Jack and Jill went up a hill”. This can result in permanent vision loss over time or temporary disorientation^(1) followed by bouts of nausea and lightheadedness .

If part of our DNA gets hit during exposure, we might end up creating our version of X-men lovers edition. That glowing figure looking back in future selfies should not be considered attractive unless one plans on becoming North Star—if so, #goals, Kim Kardashian will have nothing on them!

Even worse are activities like using binoculars without appropriate protection—you’re likely to cause irreversible eye damage immediately (and even scarier—pun intended—the mirror may now look less reliable than usual, true horror fans call this “looking into another dimension.”(2))

Conclusion; Can Eclipse Blind You?

When all is said and done? We must concede that yes—it’s possible to experience welding-like visions/blindness when witnessing a total/partial solar occurrence (we’re sure Stevie Wonder will confirm it too). However, sticking to appropriate methods of safe viewing should keep this event from being memorable (in a bad way) such as that time you tried orange leather pants.

So grab your special eyewear or vintage pinhole browser and make history remembering the moment our favorite sunshine jumps for joy while an accomplice moon figures out how to steal some of its glory. And if something does go wrong—look at the bright side; when was the last time someone with glowing eyes took over Gotham City?

References:

(1) American Academy Ophthalmology. Can You Go Blind Looking At A Solar Eclipse?

(2) Xinru Wu et al., Diagnosis and treatment of Eye Injuries following August 21, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse in China: Report of 120 Cases.

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!