How to Safely Watch the Solar Eclipse: Five Tips from Lighthouse Guild

Excitement continues to build for the solar eclipse that will take place on Monday, April 8, 2024, and be viewable in North America. If you’re planning to watch, it’s essential to make eye safety your top priority. 

“It is never safe to look directly at the sun because the sun’s rays can cause permanent damage to the eye,” says Dr. William Seiple, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Guild. “The damage could occur within only a few seconds of viewing, and there is no pain or warning signs that damage is being done. Sunglasses and homemade devices are not good enough for viewing the eclipse. We urge everyone who plans to watch to get special-purpose solar filters, and even then, spend a minimal amount of time viewing the sun.”

Lighthouse Guild offers five tips to help protect your eyes while viewing the eclipse:

• One safe way to look directly at the sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or handheld solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. They transmit thousands of times too much sunlight. 
• If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put your eclipse glasses on over them or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.
• Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After looking at the sun, turn away and remove your filter. Do not remove it while looking at the sun.
• Do not look at the sun through a camera, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewer. The concentrated solar rays could damage the eclipse glasses and allow harmful rays to enter your eyes, causing serious injury.
• Never look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device.

Lighthouse Guild 
Lighthouse Guild provides exceptional services that inspire people who are visually impaired to attain their goals. Our podcast series, “On Tech & Vision with Dr. Cal Roberts” offers information and insights about technological innovations that are tearing down barriers for people who are blind or visually impaired. For more information, visit Lighthouseguild.org. 

Source: Lighthouse Guild

Contact: Bryan Dotson, Manners Dotson Group

917-796-8632, bdotson@mannersdotson.com