April 2024 Newsletter

Solar Eclipse

On April 8th we have a Total Solar Eclipse, a truly awe-inspiring event. A solar eclipse is when the moon blocks any part of the sun from our view. The bright face of the sun is covered gradually by the moon during a partial eclipse, lasting a few hours. During the brief period of a total eclipse when the moon fully covers the sun (only a couple of minutes), the light of day gives way to a deep twilight sky. The sun’s outer atmosphere (called the solar corona) gradually appears, glowing like a halo around the moon in front of it. Bright stars and planets become more visible in the sky.

Watching a solar eclipse is a memorable experience, but looking directly at the sun can seriously damage your eyes. Staring at the sun for even a short time without wearing the right eye protection can damage your retina permanently. It can even cause blindness, called solar retinopathy.

Is Staring At The Sun Bad For Your Eyes?

There is only one safe way to look directly at the sun, whether during an eclipse or not: through special-purpose solar filters. These solar filters are used in “eclipse glasses” or in hand-held solar viewers. They must meet a very specific worldwide standard known as ISO 12312-2.

Keep in mind that ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, or homemade filters are not safe for looking at the sun.

How To Safely Watch A Solar Eclipse:

Carefully look at your solar filter or eclipse glasses before using them. If you see any scratches or damage, do not use them.
Always read and follow all directions that come with the solar filter or eclipse glasses. Help children to be sure they use handheld solar viewers and eclipse glasses correctly.
Before looking up at the bright sun, stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter—do not remove it while looking at the sun.
The only time that you can look at the sun without a solar viewer is during a total eclipse. When the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets dark, you can remove your solar filter to watch this unique experience. Then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear very slightly, immediately use your solar viewer again to watch the remaining partial phase of the eclipse.
Never look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other similar devices. This is important even if you are wearing eclipse glasses or holding a solar viewer at the same time. The intense solar rays coming through these devices will damage the solar filter and your eyes.
Talk with an expert astronomer if you want to use a special solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars or any other optical device.

For information about where to get the proper eyewear or handheld viewers, check out the American Astronomical Society.

Looking directly at the sun during most parts of an eclipse can permanently damage your vision or blind you. But there are easy ways to view a solar eclipse safely.

Watch The Eclipse Indirectly For Simple, Reliable Safety

Another way to see the eclipse is through a pinhole projection or video display.

A pinhole viewer lets you project an image of the sun onto another surface, like paper, a wall or pavement. The image of the sun is safe to look at throughout the eclipse. Learn how to make a pinhole projector or shop for one of these safe-viewing devices.

How The Sun Can Burn Your Retina In Seconds

You may have seen how sunlight can start a fire when focused through a magnifying glass. The sun can do the same thing to your retina.

Your eye’s lens focuses light on the back of your eye so you can see clearly. But if you look directly at the sun, that focused light can burn your eye. The damage and vision loss can be permanent.

Parents: Here are 5 Steps to Protect Your Young Athletes’ Eyes

Nearly 30,000 people suffer sports-related eye injuries every year. An astounding 90 percent of these ER visits could have been avoided if the athlete wore protective eyewear. Even the most low intensity sports activities pose some risk for eye injuries. From basketball to racquetball, from youth leagues to the pros, players need to protect their eyes. Eye Centers of Northwest Ohio and the American Academy of Ophthalmology are reminding the public that the best defense against potentially blinding sports-related injuries is wearing protective eyewear.

Among the common sports-related eye injuries eye doctors routinely treat are corneal abrasions, bruising around the eye, retinal detachments, and internal bleeding

Here are some safety tips for all athletes to practice:

Check and follow sport specific requirements and standards regarding eye protection.
Consider replacing eyewear once yellowed or damaged to ensure the best protection.
For basketball, racquet sports, soccer and field hockey, wear protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses
For snow or water sports, consider eyewear with UV protection to avoid sunburn or glare.
Athletes who wear contacts or glasses should still wear eye protection; contacts and regular eyeglasses are not replacements for protective sports eyewear.

If you experience an eye injury, seek medical attention immediately, even if the injury seems minor; sometimes noticeable symptoms develop later.

Progear Sports Googles Available in Both Offices

If you are a low income family, there is a program sponsored by Save Our Site, Ohio Prevent Blindness and the Ohio Ophthalmological Society with a grant from the Ohio Department of Health to provide Sports Goggles for free. If you qualify just come into either of our offices and we can order them for you.

For more information and to apply:

https://superspecs.org/programs/sports/