Solar Eclipses and Safety

​ • Looking directly at the Sun without proper eye protection is unsafe EXCEPT during the brief total eclipse phase (“totality”). This happens ONLY within the narrow path of totality. At all other times, it is safe to look directly at the Sun ONLY through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses,” that comply with the transmittance requirements of the ISO 12312-2 international standard. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the Sun.

• Outside the path of totality, there is NO TIME when it is safe to look directly at the Sun without using a solar filter that complies with the transmittance requirements of the ISO 12312-2 international standard.

​Unlike the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, Hartsville is not in the path of totality on April 8th. We will have over 90% coverage but there will be no safe time to view the eclipse without protective glasses.

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Eye damage can occur without proper protection. The sun's bright rays can burn cells in the retina at the back of the eye. The retina doesn’t have pain receptors, so there’s no way to feel the damage as it happens. Once the cells die, they don’t come back.

Symptoms of solar eye damage, called solar retinopathy, include blurred vision and color distortion.

In a rare case of eclipse eye damage, a woman who viewed the 2017 eclipse without adequate protection came to Mount Sinai’s New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, complaining of a black spot in her vision. Doctors discovered retinal damage that corresponded to the eclipse’s shape.

“The dark spot she was describing was in the shape of a crescent,” said Dr. Avnish Deobhakta, a Mount Sinai ophthalmologist.

There’s no set rule for how long of a glance can lead to permanent damage. Severity varies based on cloudiness, air pollution and a person's vantage point.

But doctors say looking at a solar eclipse for even a few seconds unprotected isn’t worth the risk. There are reports of solar retinopathy after every solar eclipse, and U.S. eye doctors saw dozens of extra visits after the one in 2017.

​• Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched, punctured, torn, or otherwise damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter.

• 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 at the bright Sun. After looking at the Sun, turn away and remove your filter – do not remove it while looking at the Sun.