Why during a solar eclipse is the suns rays more damaging to our eyes?

Question

I think this is an old wives tale to get us not to watch the action.

Answer 1

Same amount of danger anytime. More people are foolish enough to look at the sun during an eclipse, so more people have their eyesight damaged.

Answer 2

The danger in a solar eclipse is that you might find the partially eclipsed sun dim enough to stare at, but the intensity of the exposed portion is still enough to damage your eyes. The totally eclipsed sun is safe to look at with the naked eye, but you should put those eclipse glasses back on as soon as the first sliver of sun reappears.

Answer 3

There is no increase in the damaging effect that looking directly at the sun would have, during a solar eclipse. You should NEVER look directly at the sun, as doing so for a prolonged period of time will cause permanent blindness.

Answer 4

They aren't. It's just that more people are inclined to stare at the sun during an eclipse, so more report some eye damage afterwards. But there's never been a documented case of someone going permanently blind after staring at the sun, so if you don't mind temporary blindness, go for it. Or just spend a dollar on those glasses that let you look at it safely.

Answer 5

To some extent, this can be true. The reason is because our pupils dilate according to the average light level in our field of view. If most of the sun is covered and/or the sky is very dark, your pupils will open further to let in more light. The problem is that any part of the sun that can still be seen is just as bright as it is normally, only now your pupils are dilated so it appears FAR brighter on the retina, causing damage quicker than normal. Since you tend to look directly at the eclipse, the light will be focused on your fovea, the part of your eye used for detailed viewing (the center of your vision). This one of the last parts of your retina you want damaged.

Answer 6

If you stare at the sun too much, you'll be blinded. A solar eclipse is as dangerous as staring at the sun directly. I stared at the sun once, and I couldn't see anything for about fifteen minutes. And anyway, why would you go stare at a solar eclipse? Just take a special camera and take pictures.

Answer 7

The sun's rays are equally damaging to our eyes if looked at directly at any time, not just during a solar eclipse. But, when else would you stare at the sun for any length of time.

Reminds me of the joke

First astronomer: "I've been studying the Sun all day."


Second astronomer: "What have you learned?"


First astronomer: "Not to study the Sun all day."

Answer 8

It's true unless it's a total solar eclipse.

Since it's darker during an eclipse < http://science.howstuffworks.com/solar-eclipse1.htm >, your eye's dilate < http://health.howstuffworks.com/eye1.htm >, your pupils become bigger to help you see better by letting in more light. And if you see some of the disk of the sun it will damage your eyes.

However, during a total solar eclipse, when you can only see the sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona, < http://science.howstuffworks.com/sun1.htm > it's safe.

It says this,

"Once the Sun is entirely eclipsed, however, its bright surface is hidden from view and it is completely safe to look directly at the totally eclipsed Sun without any filters. In fact, it is one of the greatest sights in nature."

here: < http://www.mreclipse.com/Totality/TotalityCh11.html >

Answer 9

Its not more dangerous..its the same level of dangerous as its never a good idea to look at the sun! even during an eclipse...

Answer 10

It's not the actual rays being emitted, but the fools staring directly into the sun. And no sunglasses don't work...