What happens to your eyes if you look directly at the sun during an eclipse?

Weather of Arabia - For the first time this year, residents of some Arab countries will be able to see the eclipse of the sun on June 21, and the eclipse will be partial in regions and ringed in regions ( learn the difference between the types of eclipses from here) .

But those who watch this heavenly event need to take precautions, because staring directly in the sun can quickly damage their eyes.

Looking directly at the sun is only safe during the short total phase of the solar eclipse, when the moon completely obscures the bright face of the sun, so the only safe way to look directly at the sun during the annular and partial eclipses is through special-purpose solar filters, such as " eclipse glasses " ".

Which countries can you see the annular and partial eclipses from here?

Why does the eclipse harm the eye?

According to experts, seeing the sun with the naked eye during an eclipse can seriously harm the eye's network, as this phenomenon known as "eclipse blindness" can cause temporary or permanent vision impairment, and in the worst case scenarios may lead to blindness.

There are no immediate symptoms or pain associated with damage that may be caused by looking directly at the eclipse of the eye, so it is difficult to know directly if the eye was actually damaged by the eclipse, as symptoms generally begin 12 hours after watching the eclipse, when people wake up in Morning and they notice that their vision has changed.

Has eclipse blindness ever occurred before?

Yes. People hurt their eyes by watching the sun during the eclipse without filters in earlier times. However, it is relatively rare.

Dr. Ralph Chow, president of the Astronomical Society of Canada and former professor of optics, said that there are no specific data on the number of people with eclipse blindness, but he noticed that after the solar eclipse crossed Britain in 1999, ophthalmologists reported 70 cases of eye injuries, and that the majority of These people watched the eclipse without filters.

In Canada, 20 cases were reported in the aftermath of the total eclipse of the sun in 1979, and Chu noted that half of the cases reported over the years had fully regained their vision over the following year.

What can be done to protect eyes during an eclipse?

To make your experience of viewing the Eclipse safe from injury:

• You should buy eclipse glasses that block about 99.99% of light rays.
• When wearing eclipse glasses, it is imperative that you do not look at the sun through the camera lens, telescope or binoculars.
• Ensure that the eyewear brand is in accordance with international safety standards
• Check the filter before putting it to the eye, and ignore it if it has any scratches or damages.

Source: time.com