The solar eclipse is coming on April 8, when our tiny corner of the universe will align and put on a spectacular show that can also be dangerous for your eyes — so you should know how to see it safely.
The moon will move between the Earth and the sun, casting its shadow on our planet and turning day into night in some places. The path of totality, where people will see the moon totally block the sun, will pass over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
It’s much wider and much more populated than the path of the 2017 solar eclipse, so many more Americans will see it, according to NASA.
In all, 99% of people in the U.S. will be able to witness a partial or total eclipse from where they live, the agency says.
Is the solar eclipse harmful for eyes?
It can be if you don’t have special glasses or viewers. We’ll all be tempted to gaze up at the sky, but many people don’t realize they can get hurt by staring directly at the sun without the proper protection, says Dr. Russell N. Van Gelder, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
“The danger is real for permanent vision loss,” Van Gelder, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told TODAY.com ahead of the 2017 eclipse.
“It’s a big deal for us. We don’t have a lot of public health issues in ophthalmology where we’re really worried about things that threaten the eye health of the population.”
Even a few seconds of viewing the sun during an eclipse can burn the macula, which is part of the retina, “the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that enables people to read and recognize faces,” eye doctors warned in JAMA on March 8.
Why your eyes are in danger
You may remember taking a magnifying glass outside as a child on a sunny day and burning a hole…
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