Can solar eclipses blind you?

Question

Can solar eclipses blind you?

Answer 1

Looking at the sun can blind you, or at least damage your eyes.  During the Totality of a total soar eclipse the sun is covered, so it is safe only during totality.

Answer 2

Yes, but only if:

      * you look into the sun

      * long enough

      * with naked eye

      * while the eclipse starts or ends.

Unfortunately I can't tell you how long you can look to the starting or ending eclipse without any danger. I think a tenth of a second is not too much, maybe even more.

The danger appears because the eye prepares for a lower amount of light but the brightness remains the same.

Answer 3

If you stare directly at the sun during a solar eclipse, yes, you can even go permanently blind.

Answer 4

No

Answer 5

AB-SO-LUTELY!

NEVER look directly at a solar eclipse.  For that matter, never look directly at the sun.

do a google for "pin hole camera".  This is a very simple device that you can make with a shoe box.  It will allow you to clearly see the eclipse without looking at the sun.

Answer 6

Sure.  But it's safe during totality of solar eclipse.

I personally don't like to look at sunsets.  I get spots in my eyes that seem to last hours.  I have a full aperture solar filter for my telescope now, and that's all i'll use anymore.  I check it carefully for scratches each time i use it.

Answer 7

During totality, when the Sun's completely covered, no. You can look straight at the Sun then and ONLY THEN. At other times, yes. The Sun is normally very bright and staring at it or looking at it with binoculars or a telescope can bring about permanent vision defects, even total blindness.

Make sure you know when totality's due to end and the first bit of Sun's going to appear - the most dangerous time to view the Sun is straight after totality during an eclipse, though, because during totality the sky becomes dark and your pupils will expand to let more light in. Then totality ends and the bright Sun appears... but your pupils will still be wide open, so you're in bigger danger of being blinded.

Kids are more at risk than adults because as we get older our lenses gradually become more cloudy, which helps block sunlight. I was only eight (and therefore had more vulnerable eyes) when I saw my first (and so far only) total eclipse; it was the event of a lifetime but it certainly wouldn't have been if I wasn't wearing eye protection! So put the eyes of the youngest person first. Even a ten year old will be slightly better protected than a nine year old.

There's no harm in looking directly at a TOTAL solar eclipse, because the Sun will be completely covered, but at any time other than totality it's dangerous to look directly at the Sun. The good news is you can buy eclipse glasses and filters that you can look safely at the Sun with, or you could try using a telescope backwards to project the Sun's image onto a sheet of paper. (Make sure your glasses/filters are certified, though... and do NOT use smoked glass or normal sunglasses because they won't work well enough!)

Have fun and keep observing! ... safely.

Procyon

Answer 8

Yes, the suns light is "bent' by gravity to bend around the moon and burn your eyes

Answer 9

Yes! The effect of the sun's corona is powerful enough during a solar eclipse to blind anyone who looks at it directly for even a few seconds.

Answer 10

Uh, directly looking at the sun ? Yes.