Did early astronomers go blind looking at the sun?

Question

Those especially using early telescopes.

Gaileo actually didn't go blind till 72, so some believe it was actually cataracts not the sun that caused his blindness.

Answer 1

navigators/pirates on ships always burnt out their retina getting their bearings, thus the eye patch

Answer 2

Galileo did lose much of his eyesight. He had observed the Sun when in his late 40's. But he did not become blind until the age of 73: cataracts and glaucoma. It is not known how much was caused by his observations of the Sun (which he probably continued on and off in his later years).

"we know that Galilei already in 1612 (at the age of 48) began his studies on sun-spots"
"Galilei became blind, when he had already attained the age of seventy-three. Before that time, he seems to have seen perfectly well, for there is no mention of bad eyesight in his biographies"
Dr. M.E.Mulder "The Green Ray" published by Fisher Unwin, London, 1922

Answer 3

In addition to sticking a needle behind his eye just to see what would happen, Newton had to spend days in the dark after looking at the sun as long as he could stand to, just to see what would happen.

Answer 4

And their eyes probably formed cataracts first.

Answer 5

the blind ones thought they were looking at a black hole

Answer 6

I would guarentee at least a few of them did.