Why do solar eclipses make you bline?

Question

And how can I prevent that from happening on the solar eclipse coming up in September 11th?

I apologize. I meant to say BLIND!!!

Answer 1

people go blind because they are looking up at the sun.

so just don't look right at the sun

Answer 2

The best, cheapest way is to get a big piece of cardboard, and poke a pencil through it. Then, when the eclipse starts, hold the cardboard about 2 feet over the sidewalk.

The hole acts like a pin-hole camera, and the image of the sun will appear as a 3 or 4 inch circle on the sidewalk. As the eclipse progresses, you'll see that the circle is actually an image of the sun - with the moon's shadow moving across it.

You should never look at the sun during an eclpse. Even with welder's glasses, the amount of light can seriously damage your eyes.

Answer 3

Is bline like being salty ("Brine")?

If you maybe perhaps mean BLIND, then the way to prevent that is DON"T LOOK AT THE SUN.

This eclipse is visible only in South America, Antarctica and the South Atlantic.

See the second link for how to view a solar eclipse.

Answer 4

First of all, solar eclipses do NOT make you blind! During the short period of totality (when the Moon completely covers the Sun's photosphere), it is perfectly safe to look at the eclipse. I've done it myself for the entire period of totality at the two total eclipses I've witnessed, and my eyes are fine. Heck, I've even used binoculars to look at the eclipsed Sun.

The danger is in looking at the SUN, either during the partial phases of an eclipse, or any other time. The ONLY time it's SAFE to look at the Sun is during the total phase of a total eclipse. The rest of the time, you must use heavy duty filtration. Not sunglasses or photographic film (anybody remember that?) or pop-tart wrappers or CDs. What's required is a #14 welder's glass, which is denser than the normal #12 welder's glass you can buy in hardware stores. #14 is only available from specialist welding supply stores. Astronomy stores sell special eclipse glasses, which are also safe. Don't risk your eyesight on anything else!

The other misinformation here is that ultraviolet radiation is to blame. Not so, it is infrared radiation (heat) that does the damage. The Sun's image on your retina actually COOKS the cells, and there's no turning back from cooked cells. Permanent blindness results, almost instantaneously.

Answer 5

AN eclipse can fool you into staring directly at the Sun for long enough to cause damage to your eye. When the Sun is not eclipsed, your eyes sting and hurt and water if you try to look directly at it, so naturally you don't. But when the Sun is about 99% eclipsed, it can be looked at without feeling any pain, but damage is still being done to your eye. It is safe to look at if it is TOTALLY eclipsed, but not if it is even 1% uncovered. I heard of a case where a young boy who had been told not to look directly at the partially eclipsed Sun did so anyway. He was fine until the next day, when his sight started to fail. Finally, he lost sight in the center of his field of vision and only had perepherial vision after that. I suspect this is a rare case though. I have never heard of any other story about sight loss from eclipses.

Answer 6

Normally, the intensity of the light from the sun prevents anyone from looking at the sun for too long. During an eclipse, the intensity has diminished enough that people can and will stare at the sun long enough for the shorter wavelength radiation (UV and gamma rays) to do damage to the retina. You can prevent this by looking at the reflection of the eclipse through a mirror (which doesn't reflect UV and other radiation).

Answer 7

Looking directly at the sun can damage your eyes at any time. The reason it is mentioned more often around the time of a solar eclipse is that people are curious and want to observe this phenomenon. So. lots of warning are put out around that time to caution people.
ONLY look at the sun directly with equipment or filters manufactured for that purpose.!!!!
Consider any of the alternatives as highly suspect since you have no control over their quality. Many of them appear ok at first glance, but have glaring defects upon closer inspection. Stay Safe!! don't even think of fooling around with this.

Adolph

Answer 8

When there is an eclipse you can look directly at the sun
for quite a while, long enough to do damage from the ultraviolet radiation you don't see, normally it is to bright to stare at and you blink and look away in time to prevent damage. If you want to watch the eclipse safely you should use a dark glass uv filter, welding shops have them or ask a welder
to borrow an arc welding helmet and really enjoy the view

Answer 9

Exposure of the UV rays from the sun onto the retina of the eye literally burns it, it causes "solar burns" or "solar spots" on the retina which destroys that part of the vision. The retina is the film of the eye, so to speak, destroy the film, destroy the picture it's taking.

Answer 10

protect your eyes it is important! http://metaluna.miniville.fr/