MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, Colo. — Many people are sure to head to Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado to get a good look at the annular solar eclipse that's coming Saturday.
An annular solar eclipse is different from a total solar eclipse because the moon does not fully cover the sun and a ring of bright sunlight, or annulus, is seen. This "ring of fire" is visible around the moon during the maximum phase.
Regardless of which type of eclipse you're watching, it is never safe to look at the sun without the proper equipment.
Dr. Aaron Winstead, an optometrist at LoHi Eye Care and Eyewear in Denver, says looking at the eclipse with the naked eye will damage your eyes — and could potentially blind you.
"What you're really worried about is the retina, which is the inside of your eye. It is the neural processing. It is the brain of your eye," said Dr. Winstead. "If your eye was a camera, the retina would be the film. And the sun will burn that film. It will burn a literal hole there. So you just don't want to look directly at the sun."
Dr. Winstead added that eye protection should be used even when viewing the eclipse through a phone or a camera, although there's a risk you'll damage the lenses.
The only safe way to look directly at the sun during an eclipse is through special-purpose solar filters, like eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers.
"Not all solar glasses are actually solar glasses," said Dr. Winstead. "A lot of the stuff you see available online is just to get you to buy a $5, $10 pair of cheap sunglasses that they aren't going to do anything."
According to the National Park Service, solar filters should have an ISO 12312-2:2015 certification and the manufacturer's name and address printed somewhere on the product. However, Dr. Winstead recommends finding filters that were made after 2017.
"ISO 12312-2 is going to be the latest one. A lot of the old solar glasses that you'll see out there, you're usually looking for 2017 and after, at that point," he said. "Because anything before that, there's always that risk of lens degradation."
Dr. Winstead also says people should avoid solar glasses with scratched or damaged lenses.
The National Park Service is offering some tips for viewing the eclipse safely.
Do not use solar filters that are:
- Missing ISO certification information
- Torn, scratched, or have wrinkled lenses
- Coming loose from their frames
- Made before 2015
Of course, a solar filter won't do you any good if you don't use it correctly. Be sure to read and follow the instructions printed or packaged with the solar filter. Always supervise children who are using solar filters, and always follow these steps when looking at the sun during an annular eclipse:
- Inspect your solar filter before use - if it's scratched or damaged, discard it and find a new filter.
- Before looking at the sun, put on your eclipse glasses or hold your handheld solar viewer up to your eyes.
- After viewing the sun with your solar filter, turn away from the sun before removing it. Do not remove your solar filter while looking at the sun.
Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device, even if you're using a solar filter. The concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eyes, causing serious injury.
If you don't have a solar filter, you can use a pinhole projection. NASA has instructions for making one here.
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