What happens if you look directly into an eclipse

Both men, now 70, say they wish they had known about the long-term harm that afternoon would do to their eyesight. Both estimate they had glanced up for about 20 seconds or so — each using a different eye. It was only through separate eye exams later that both men learned they had permanently damaged their retinas.

This glass will reduce the harmful rays that are emitted during the eclipse. Do not use if there are any scratches or damage to the glass. Mylar filters : Aluminized mylar plastic sheets are available as eclipse vision glasses or can be cut and made into a viewing box. Do not use if there are any scratches or damage to the sheet.

Other ways : Other ways to safely watch a solar eclipse is on television or at the planetarium. Be careful about how you watch a solar eclipse. It is not recommended to view it in the following ways:.

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 could possibly also damage your smartphone camera. 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. Skip to content. Your Sight. Otherwise, NASA recommends putting on a pair of eclipse glasses that meets the current international standard for eye protection, because the ultradark lenses shield your peepers from the sun's harmful rays.

And when gazing at the eclipse with binoculars or another magnification device, make sure the device is equipped with its own solar filter — eclipse glasses alone won't prevent eye damage from magnified sunlight [source: Cofield ]. If you follow these tips, you can take joy in knowing that you're about to witness an awe-inspiring celestial show safely.

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