is it safe to look at the sun with a mirror?

Question

Would it burn my eyes?

OK well a lot of you seem to think this is a dumb question. I was just thinking that the reflection is basically a virtual image of the sun and would that image carry the same amount of heat capable of burning your eyes as looking at the real image?? For instance we see reflections of the suns light in everything around us during the day so whats the principle behind it...???

Answer 1

Never do that...

When the sun it's reflected part of the incident energy it's absorbed, so the energy that reaches your eyes is less than if you look the sun directly.

The amount of energy absorbed depends of how much reflective it's the material in which you are reflecting the light.

But a mirror it's very reflective (It almost reflect all the incident energy), so it's silly to use it.

Answer 2

Not directly unless the mirror has very dark glass, it could seriously damage your eyes if you can keep them open long enough.

You could try reflecting the light from the sun onto a piece of paper or card and viewing that however. It's the way the sun is often viewed through a telescope.

Answer 3

Yes, it'd burn your eyes. You're simply re-directing the light & energy in the sun's rays you'd be looking at anyway.

Always use a filter, or better yet - poke a hole in a big piece of cardboard (use a nail), and then hold the cardboard about a foot off the ground. On the ground you *should* see an image of the sun - it's safe, it's easy, and you won't damage your eyes.

Answer 4

Think about it. When you look into a mirror you see exactly the same thing that you would if you looked at it directly.
What would make you think a mirror would magically only reflect a tiny bit of the sun?
Of course it would burn your eyes, just like looking at the sun would.

Answer 5

MR HAPPY IS WRONG
Although the sun appears much dimmer through a CD so it can be looked at without dazzling you, it is still dangerous because of invisible radiation.

There have been good answers, such as projecting an image of the sun onto paper. This is safe.

But looking through a CD is even more dangerous than direct viewing because it lures you into a false sense of security - it feels OK so you'll be able to take a good long look - and seriously damage your eyes whilst doing it.

Answer 6

What kind of mirror? In any case, it will not be any safer than just looking at it with your eyes alone. Try using a mirror to reflect the image onto a piece of paper or finding some kind of solar filter first!

Answer 7

It depends on what you mean.

If you're talking about looking directly INTO the mirror, at the sun's reflection, then that is not safe. It's as dangerous as looking at the sun directly.

But if you're talking about reflecting the sun's image from a mirror onto (say) a wall, and then just looking at the wall, then that IS safe. This is a safe and simple way to view eclipses, for example.

Answer 8

It is extremely dangerous to use a mirror to view the Sun. Even if you use tinted mirrors or something that darkens the Sun, you wouldn't block the Sun's invisible radiation, such as UV and infrared.

If you want to see the Sun, I would suggest pinhole projection (a previous answer explains that) or a safe solar filter, such as one from Thousand Oaks, which can be used on a telescope. Solar filters *** from reputable manufacturers *** eliminate all harmful radiation and allow you to safely view the Sun. If you don't have a telescope, use pinhole projection.

--- edit ---

You must always exercise caution when attempting to view the Sun. Even if you can dim the Sun so that it is comfortable to view, invisible radiation can still damage your eyes. Looking through a CD is one such example.

Answer 9

Definitely not. You will get the same intensity of light as you would looking directly at it and it could do serious damage to your eyesight. It MAY help if it is a heavily smoked mirror or you look through a very dark filter. You really need the correct astronomical gear.
You could try looking at the sun for about as long as you can keep your left elbow in your right ear!!

Answer 10

It's not recommended, becauase mirrors don't really reduce the amount of light. So, basically, you're getting the same amount of sunlight, just from a different source. So yeah, long story short, you'll blind yourself.

It's better to take a sheet of paper, punch a pinhole in it, and then let the light stream through that pinhole onto another sheet of paper. Look at the second sheet, and you'll see the sun.