If you are one of the millions of people who watched the 2017 Great American Solar Eclipse and now love looking at the sun, make sure you wear your solar eclipse glasses to avoid any type of sun damage to your eyes.
Eclipse glasses are not just for view the Solar Eclipse. You should wear them anytime you plan on viewing the sun even if it is for just a second.
Ophthalmologists state that a mere 10 seconds of viewing the sun without specially designed glasses can result in some type of irreversible damage. Symptoms of sun damage can be noticed within hours to several days later. Symptoms include blurred vision, floating dark spots, eye pain, and blindness.
Wearing certified eclipse glasses is the only way to protect your eyes. These glasses work by preventing UVA and UVB rays from reaching the retina. Typical sunglasses are not adequate for solar viewing. Sunglasses only block out 10 to 20 percent of visible light and Ultraviolet rays. If you suspect you have damaged your eyes, then you should see an eye doctor.
Viewing the sun with proper protective wear is a great way to view a solar eclipse, view sunspots, and limb darkening.
Before you use your solar eclipse glasses, check to make sure the ISO standard and logo are printed on the side of the glasses. Be aware there are many counterfeit solar glasses with the ISO information printed on them. The only way to know if you have authentic glasses is to view the list of approved vendors from the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force.
Purchasing and wearing certified solar eclipse glasses is the only way to view the sun during a total or partial eclipse or just to observe the sun’s disk. Protecting your eyes should be your number one priority.
