What do I need to know about this eclipse

zaq

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 9:26 pm

Coral, you are correct. The only danger is to eyes. If you're going to hang outside for 2 hours, wear sunscreen, just as if you were hanging outside on a regular bright day. If you're driving, wear sunglasses and a visor or wide-brimmed hat just as you would on a regular bright day.

The problem is that people will be tempted to look up at the sun. People think that because much of the sun is covered, it's safe to look at the sun. It's not. It doesn't take long for the sun's rays to damage your retina, even when most of the sun is obscured. If you or someone you know happens to be a welder and has a helmet with viewing glass shades 12, 13 or 14, you can safely wear that to view the eclipse. Welding helmets with shades less than 12 don't cut it.

Sunglasses, no matter how dark, and polarized lenses don't cut it, either. Glasses need to be marked ISO 12312-2, which is the standard for eclipse-watching glasses. Personally, unless I got the glasses from a reputable optical supplier, I wouldn't trust glasses even if so marked. Counterfeits abound. If you still have eclipse glasses that you saved from 2017, check to make sure that they have no scratches or pinholes that will admit light into your eyes.

You can make a pinhole viewer --instructions can be found online--and view the phenomenon that way without special glasses. You can also watch online on the NASA website (www.nasa.gov). You can even take a colander with small holes and hold it up with the sunlight behind you, so that the sunlight passes through the holes and onto a sheet of white cardboard or paper that you place on the ground. You will then see the image of the sun being swallowed up, repeated over and over through every hole in the colander.

But, no, there will be no witches or ectoplasms or ethers or other woo-woo things going on. You don't need to wear a metal helmet or carry garlic to ward off evil spirits or foreign influences. You don't need to hide in a dark cellar or cover your windows with blackout curtains unless you have little kids who don't know not to look at the sun.

amother

Coral

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 9:36 pm

zaq wrote:

From the panic I see people having when they talk about the eclipse, the bolded seemed like a concern that this could be happening. I was wondering if I was being the odd one out not thinking it's such a big deal.
Of course, being I able to experience/view the eclipse is a big deal. All the prep and worry seems unnecessary if you just go about your daily routine without looking at the sun.