Southern 7 Health Department – Solar Eclipse Eye Safety Tips

This April, the United States will experience its second total solar eclipse in seven years; the last being on August 21,

2017. While viewing an eclipse is a site to behold, Southern 7 Health Department reminds you to take necessary

precautions to protect your vision and enjoy it safely.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology watching a solar eclipse without protection, even for a short

time, can seriously damage your eyes and cause blindness. Except during the brief total phase of the eclipse, or totality,

when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s surface, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye

protection for solar viewing. As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright Sun reappear after totality, immediately put

your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the Sun.

During the partial phases of the eclipse, which happen before and after totality, you must look through safe solar

viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times

darker and should comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. Always inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld

viewer before use; if torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device. Always supervise children using solar

viewers.

Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Do

NOT 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 as the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye

injury.

If you don’t have eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can use an indirect viewing method, which does not

involve looking directly at the Sun. One way is to use a pinhole projector, which has a small opening (for example, a hole

punched in an index card) and projects an image of the Sun onto a nearby surface. Another is to use the circular holes of

a colander to project crescent shapes onto the ground. With the Sun at your back, you can then safely view the

projected image. Do NOT look at the Sun through the holes.

In addition to protecting your eyes, remember that the Sun will be very bright at all times regardless of its phases. If you

are watching an entire eclipse, you may be in direct sunlight for hours. Remember to wear sunscreen, a hat, and

protective clothing to prevent skin damage.

This year’s solar eclipse visits Illinois on April 8, 2024 beginning approximately at 12:42 pm CDT, with totality at

approximately 1:59 to 2:03 pm, and the final exit of the Moon’s shadow from the state at approximately 3:18 pm CDT.

To see your location’s exact times check out the Eclipse Path & Visibility Map at

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/globe/2024-april-8?n=5373 .

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