1. Solar Eclipse Eye Safety: Facts & Fallacies
Rick Fienberg
American Astronomical Society •
Rick Fienberg / TravelQuest International / Wilderness Travel

2. Rick Fienberg

3. Miloslav Druckmüller / Shadia Habbal / Peter Aniol / Pavel Štarha
A total solar eclipse is about as bright as the full Moon — and just as safe to look at.*
Rick Fienberg
*Even with binoculars or a telescope!

4. But the Sun at any other time, e.g.,…
when no solar eclipse is occurring,
during a partial or annular (ring) solar eclipse, or
during the partial phases of a total or annular eclipse
…is dangerously bright. There is a genuine risk of retinal injury.

5. To observe the Sun outside of a total solar eclipse,
view it…
directly only through special-purpose safe solar filters
or indirectly only by using pinhole or optical projection.

6. Q: Are dark sunglasses safe for direct viewing of the Sun?
No!

8. Q: Does the Sun emit dangerous rays during a solar eclipse?
A: No more so than at any other time. The Moon has no “focusing” or other effect. Earth’s atmosphere shields us from solar UV, X-rays, etc.

9. Messenging developed with NASA
Endorsed by eye-care academies

10. Q: Do lots of people suffer eye injuries during solar eclipses?
A: Very rarely, and usually not permanently.
Download this document from eclipse.aas.org
(See Resources > Downloads)

11. Michael Zeiler / GreatAmericanEclipse.com