Protect Your Eyes When Viewing the Solar Eclipse
On Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, moving from Mexico to parts of the U.S. and Canada. The “totality” will be visible in some parts of New York State between 3:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. People in the New York Metropolitan Area will be able to view a partial eclipse at around 3:25 p.m.
Although lunar eclipses are fairly frequent occurrences, solar eclipses are relatively rare. According to NASA, the next solar eclipse visible to New Yorkers will be on August 23, 2044. That’s why so many people in our area are eager to witness it on April 8, aware that this will be the last chance to do so for a good long while.
What happens during a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, causing the sky to darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun.
Why do we need to protect our eyes during the eclipse?
The sun emits the heat and light we all depend on. But it also gives off potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) light and infrared (IR) radiation. You may be tempted to look directly at the sun during an eclipse, as it will appear completely or mostly dark—but that would be extremely dangerous, says New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “ISO-certified eclipse glasses will shield your eyes from serious and possibly permanent damage, which can occur by looking at the eclipse with regular sunglasses or without any eye protection.”
Dr. Christopher Starr, an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Associate Attending Ophthalmologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, seconds the commissioner’s statement. Looking directly at the sun during an eclipse or at any time, for that matter, can cause retinal and ocular damage, leading to irreversible blindness or partial vision loss, he says. Even looking at the sun directly for a few seconds can cause irreparable harm.
Where can I get eclipse glasses?
New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul has made specialized eclipse glasses available in dozens of locations around the State, including a limited quantity of I LOVE NY glasses at New York State Welcome Centers and select service areas along the Throughway.
In the City and the New York Metro Area, you can pick up a free pair at:
- your local public library
- Warby Parker—a chain of opticians
- the American Museum of Natural History
- Penn Station’s Moynihan Train Hall at Long Island Railroad ticket windows
Glasses will be limited to two pairs per person while supplies last, with a limited quantity distributed daily. The free glasses were approved by the New York State Department of Health and carry an ISO certification.
Are there other safe devices for viewing an eclipse?
A handheld safe solar viewer is a good alternative to eclipse glasses. Both are effective in dramatically reducing the light of the sun to levels that are safe for the human eye.
You can also watch the eclipse indirectly, Dr. Starr says, through a homemade pinhole projector. “Create a tiny hole in a piece of paper, cardboard or foil. Hold it toward the sun and project the image onto a white piece of paper. By watching the paper instead of the sun, you’ll be able to see the eclipse while keeping your eyes safe from harm.”
What about viewing the totality?
People in New York City and the New York Metro Area won’t be able to see the total eclipse—just the partial one, about 87 percent of the total—and all the precautions mentioned above apply.
Interestingly, the only time it’s safe to look at the sun directly is during the totality. According to NASA, people in parts of the following States will be able to see the total event: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and small parts of Tennessee and Michigan. Check the NASA website to see whether the totality will be visible from your area.
“The totality will last about 4 minutes, so in theory, people in parts of the States listed above can take off their eclipse glasses and look at the sun directly during that brief interval,” he says. “But I wouldn’t recommend your doing so for longer than 2 to 3 minutes, or 1 to 2 minutes if we want to be extra conservative. It’s simply too easy to linger and forget the time.”
As well, be on the lookout for a strange phenomenon called the Purkinje Effect. The sudden flip from day to night during an eclipse affects the way we perceive colors. Reds can look dark, while greens and blues tend to “pop” in contrast. To view this unusual effect, consider wearing a green or red shirt on the day of the eclipse.
A few important “don’ts”:
- Don’t look at the sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer. The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter on these devices and cause serious eye injury.
- Don’t look at the eclipse while driving.
- Don’t use torn, scratched or damaged eclipse glasses. If you’ve kept a pair from the last solar eclipse, it’s time to toss them and pick up a new pair.
- Don’t let your children watch the eclipse unsupervised.
Beware counterfeit and fake eclipse glasses
The American Astronomical Society (AAS) urges all of us to avoid bad actors who have been selling counterfeit and fake versions of the ISO-certified ones.
To steer clear of these, make sure to pick up your pair from a vetted vendor.
For comprehensive instructions on how to spot counterfeit or fake eclipse glasses, see the AAS’s press release here.
You can also test your eclipse glasses as follows:
- An authentic and safe pair of solar eclipse glasses should be labeled with ISO 12312-2 (sometimes written in more detail as ISO 12312-2:2015), an international safety standard.
- Check the AAS’s list of reputable vendors here.
- And just in case, the AAS suggests wearing your eclipse glasses to check the sunlight reflected off a mirror or a shiny metal object. If the sun is behind the clouds when you want to test your glasses, use a bright-white LED bulb or the flashlight on your phone. If you can see the light from your phone’s flashlight or a bright LED bulb through your eclipse glasses, you can be sure that these glasses aren't strong enough to view the eclipse safely.
Stay Safe!
“Enjoy the eclipse, be careful and protect yourself and your kids,” says Dr. Starr. “Children’s eyes are even more susceptible to UV light than adults’ eyes are, so make sure to take extra special care of their eyes—and yours!”