A solar eclipse can be a fascinating experience, but dangerous without the right equipment, says an eye doctor.
Remember to use eclipse glasses this evening, when the moon covers up to 88 percent of the sun. (Photo: © Morten Juhl, Ritzau Scanpix) 7 minutes ago
When the moon casts its shadow over the sun this evening, it can be tempting to look up without eclipse glasses.
But you should not.
It can cause permanent damage to your vision if you fail to use eclipse glasses during tonight's solar eclipse.
That is the message from Rune Salling Holmbjørn, chief physician at the Department of Eye Diseases at Rigshospitalet Glostrup.
> A solar eclipse lasts only a few seconds, but you will have to live with your eye injury for the rest of your life
> Rune Salling Holmbjørn, chief physician at the Department of Eye Diseases at Rigshospitalet Glostrup
- Even though the sun is covered by the moon, its light is still so intense that you risk burning your retina in just a few seconds, he says.
With an eye injury caused by a solar eclipse, you will typically get a blind spot in the center of your field of vision. The spot can cause blurred vision and in the worst case complete blindness, and it can last from a few weeks to a lifetime.
To avoid an eye injury, you should therefore always use eclipse glasses.
- Remember the glasses. A solar eclipse lasts only a few seconds, but you will have to live with your eye injury for the rest of your life, says Rune Salling Holmbjørn
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Regular sunglasses from your bag won't work
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Normally, you cannot look at the sun for long before you are blinded. But during a solar eclipse, you can look directly at the sun for several minutes at a time. And that is where the problem arises.
Eclipse glasses must be CE-marked and have ISO number 1231-2. (Photo: © Claus Bech, Ritzau Scanpix)
- It only takes a few seconds to get a burned retina, and you will not be able to feel it during a solar eclipse. It can take from a few hours to several days before you notice that you can no longer see as you normally do, says Rune Salling Holmbjørn.
Therefore, using regular sunglasses is not good enough either.
- Normal sunglasses are designed to make you comfortable when there is a lot of sun, but they are nowhere near strong enough to look directly at the sun, he says.
So if you are going to look directly at the sun this evening, it is important to have the right gear. Homemade solutions will not work, says Rune Salling Holmbjørn, and recommends only using CE-marked glasses with ISO number 1231-2.
And if you have eclipse glasses left over from a previous solar eclipse, you should also remember to get new ones, because the solar filter loses its ability to filter light over time.
Didn't you buy eclipse glasses? Protect your eyes with things you have at home ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/vejret/fik-du-ikke-koebt-solformoerkelsesbriller-beskyt-dine-oejne-med-ting-du-har-i-hjemmet )
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