Make Sure You Wear Eye Protection To Avoid Eclipse Blindness

Today a Solar Eclipse will travel across North America, passing over Mexico, The United States, and Canada.

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While this is an exciting event you must take proper precautions to avoid causing permanent damage to your vision.

Make Sure You Wear Eye Protection To Avoid Eclipse Blindness

During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking the sun's light.

While this creates a mesmerizing spectacle, staring directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can cause serious and irreversible eye damage known as "eclipse blindness" or solar retinopathy.

via GIPHY

Solar retinopathy occurs when the sun's ultraviolet and infrared radiation burns the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

This can lead to a blind spot in the central vision, visual distortions, and altered color perception. In severe cases, the damage can be permanent.

To safely enjoy the eclipse, you need to wear proper eye protection, such as ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses.

These specialized glasses filter out 99.999% of the sun's harmful rays, allowing you to view the eclipse without risking your vision.

via GIPHY

Avoid using regular sunglasses, as they do not provide adequate protection.

For those unable to travel to the path of totality, which in Michigan is limited to a small area near the Ohio border, you can still safely enjoy a partial eclipse by using your eclipse glasses.

Just be sure to never look directly at the sun without proper protection.