The total eclipse is coming up soon

[highfigh]

That was actually a question from someone asking if it's safe to be outside WHEN YOU ARE NOT LOOKING AT THE SUN

Uh, he wrote "but that it is perfectly safe to stare the eclipse full in its face during totality when only the corona is visible."

 

[haraldo]

Uh, he wrote "but that it is perfectly safe to stare the eclipse full in its face during totality when only the corona is visible."

Well yeah, that's tru but only until the "diamond ring" starts appearing, then it's glasses on

 

[rojo]

Uh, he wrote "but that it is perfectly safe to stare the eclipse full in its face during totality when only the corona is visible."

You seem eager to pick a fight this morning. What I said was true. From this space.com article:

During totality, when the disk of the sun is completely covered by the moon, it is safe to look up at the celestial sight with the naked eye.

Binoculars are helpful for seeing more detail in the solar corona. Telescopes are not necessary, but some skywatchers may use low-powered telescopes to observe the sun's atmosphere during totality.

A hyperlink within that snippet pursues this idea further. Referring to a Peanuts comic strip where Linus warns that total eclipses are especially dangerous, the expert quoted in the article disagrees:

Reflecting on that comic strip decades later, Rao said Schulz really missed the mark.

"I looked at that and I said, 'How could he do that?'" the FiOS1 News meteorologist recounted. "He's giving the impression that a total eclipse is the worst time, but that's the time when you're supposed to look, and that's the most beautiful time."

It might have taken 54 years, but Rao is righting Schulz's erroneous, if well-meaning, recommedation. In "Looking Up!: The Science of Stargazing" (Simon Spotlight, 2017), Rao's second fact-filled primer for children, the author takes pains to assure his young readers that they can — and should — seize the opportunity to view, with their naked eyes, the moment when the moon completely envelopes the sun.

The article goes on to say:

"The most beautiful and spectacular part of the eclipse is the total phase, when it's completely covered and you see the corona and the stars come out, and the horizon lights up with sunrise and sunset colors," said Rao, who also serves as an instructor at New York City's Hayden Planetarium. "It's beautiful, but people are under this misguided impression that that's the worst time to be outside, the worst time to look, and that was what I was trying to push or stress in the book, to the kids especially."

 

[NINaudio]

There is this huge misconception that the sun is somehow MORE dangerous to look at during an eclipse. This is entirely false. The danger inherent with staring at the sun is always there. However, when there is an eclipse going on, people are more likely to override their body's natural aversion to staring at bright objects in order to see the event. This is what makes it "more dangerous".

 

[haraldo]

There is this huge misconception that the sun is somehow MORE dangerous to look at during an eclipse. This is entirely false. The danger inherent with staring at the sun is always there. However, when there is an eclipse going on, people are more likely to override their body's natural aversion to staring at bright objects in order to see the event. This is what makes it "more dangerous".

The issue here too is that the retina has no pain sensors or signals to overloading or overheating, that means if it's overheated there will be no signals as of this back to the brain. Staring at the sun can simply boil the retina and permanent danger can occur within seconds...

You will not even know if the damage is temporary or permanent, it may even be permanent damage within a very short period of time, worst case, even complete blindness.

Looking at the sun is extremely dangerous in any situation

 

[NINaudio]

Looking at the sun is extremely dangerous in any situation

That was my point exactly.

 

[Pogre]

There is this huge misconception that the sun is somehow MORE dangerous to look at during an eclipse. This is entirely false. The danger inherent with staring at the sun is always there. However, when there is an eclipse going on, people are more likely to override their body's natural aversion to staring at bright objects in order to see the event. This is what makes it "more dangerous".

Exactly. Folks tend to stare at the sun during an eclipse and that's why there are warnings. You can look at an eclipse during full totality, but when the diamond appears you're supposed to look away. That's where folks get into trouble.

Incidentally, my wife told me she didn't want to let the dogs out for fear of the Eclipse harming them...

 

[NINaudio]

Incidentally, my wife told me she didn't want to let the dogs out for fear of the Eclipse harming them...

Those stupid dogs, always staring at the sun!

 

[panteragstk]

Incidentally, my wife told me she didn't want to let the dogs out for fear of the Eclipse harming them...

 

[haraldo]

Those stupid dogs, always staring at the sun!

You mean stupid dogs, and Trump?

 

[NINaudio]

He doesn't listen to scientists about global warming, why would he listen to them about eclipses?

 

[haraldo]

He doesn't listen to scientists about global warming, why would he listen to them about eclipses?

I'm not suggesting he listens..... I'm just suggesting that stupid dogs and trump look directly at the sun

 

[haraldo]

This is a good one