Solar Eclipse Fail: Here’s What NOT To Wear Today + Proof That The Eclipse WILL Damage Eyes
If you do decide to go outside and look up at the sun during the eclipse, be sure to protect your eyes. And since those NASA-approved solar eclipse glasses are impossible to find, you'll have to make your own.
Staring at the sun for too long can cause what's known as "eclipse blindness," a very serious injury to the eye’s retinas, according to USA Today. Also, it's good to know that you can't feel it, because you don't have pain receptors in that area. However, it can be irreversible.
KRON in Portland, Oregon is reporting about a 71-year-old man who stared at a partial eclipse with his right eye for approximately 20 seconds in high school. As a result, he says he still has a pea-sized blank spot in his vision over 50 years later. This should be enough proof for you to realize it's definitely not worth risking your precious eyesight.
The only time you can look at the eclipse is during "totality," when the moon completely covers the sun... But that is not happening here in New England. We're only getting a partial eclipse.
By the way, if you miss the today's much-hyped eclipse, the next TOTAL solar eclipse happens on April 8, 2024, and it will be visible from Texas to Maine.
If you have to work and can't go outside this afternoon, you can watch the eclipse on your phone or computer. NASA plans to livestream the eclipse with the help of students from the University of Maine.