By Lori Kiehl, Marketing Manager at Premier Eye Care
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In this area, we have the once in a lifetime opportunity to see the totally eclipsed sun — when the moon completely blocks the sun. We may see the solar corona ringing the black silhouette of the moon in a twilight-dark sky with stars and sunset colors all around the horizon.
This is an opportunity to see the eclipse for those in a 70-mile wide span on Monday, August 21, at 1:09 p.m. for up to two minutes and 23 seconds.
The last time the contiguous U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 1979. This could be the most witnessed total eclipse ever.
The rest of the nation will see a partial eclipse that day.
Minutes before the totality eclipse, we will see a partial eclipse and the only safe way to look directly at the partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers.
Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun.
To date, four manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and hand-held solar viewers meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products: Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17.
Many of these filters have a thin layer of chromium alloy or aluminum deposited on their surfaces that attenuates both visible and near-infrared radiation.
Number 14 welder glass is also approved.
Premier EyeCare Associates is giving away a limited number of eclipse viewers that are available at any of our four offices, Brookfield, Chillicothe, Carrollton, and Trenton, so the eclipse can be safely viewed by customers.
An eclipse is considered more dangerous to eyesight because we can view the sun longer without the normal sensation of pain associated when looking at a bright light.
If a person looks at the sun several seconds during the partial eclipse without protection, a person could experience a short-term condition called retinal bleaching.
If a person looks at the sun unprotected a few minutes, permanent blindness could happen that could be irreversible. Exposure of the retina to intense visible light causes damage to its light-sensitive rod and cone cells. The light triggers a series of complex chemical reactions within the cells that damages their ability to respond to a visual stimulus and, in extreme cases, can destroy them. The result is a loss of visual function which may be either temporary or permanent depending on the severity of the damage.
Do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using eclipse glasses or viewers— the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury. There are special solar filter devices for cameras, telescopes, and binoculars that are required.
In the regions of Gallatin, Trenton, Chillicothe, and Carrollton, only remove your solar filter when the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Replace your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases.
Dark sunglasses, transition lenses, neutral density or polarizing filters are not safe for solar viewing. Do not use a homemade solution – go to Premier EyeCare Associates and experience this exciting visual phenomenon safely!
For more information, read moeyecare.org or eclipse.aas.org or eclipse2017.nasa.gov.