Safely Viewing a Solar Eclipse

The Patient Page published online today in JAMA provides safety recommendations for viewing the next total solar eclipse, which will cross major US cities on Monday afternoon, April 8. A solar eclipse can be one of nature ’s most extraordinary astronomical displays, but as many ophthalmologists know, improper viewing can cause serious eye damage, even blindness, if certain steps are not taken to protect the eyes. It may not be safe to view a total eclipse without added eye protection, even during the 90 seconds whe n an eclipse is total, unless one is certain that one is viewing during totality. The totality of an eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun, is short-lived, lasting only about 1 to 3 minutes depending on geographic location. The moon continues to move across the sun as the total eclipse en ds, and bright sunlight suddenly appears. A few seconds of viewing the sun before it completely disappears, or when it suddenly appears, can temporarily or permanently damage the retina as the sudden sunlight might be focused on the fovea.

Source: JAMA Ophthalmology - April 1, 2024 Category: Opthalmology Source Type: research