Do Sunglasses Protect Eyes in a Solar

Eclipse?
×
Next Total Solar Eclipse: Mon, 21 Aug 2017 … See animation
Never look directly at the Sun. You can seriously hurt your eyes, and even go blind. Proper
eye protection, like eclipse glasses or a Sun filter, is the only safe option. Sunglasses don't
work.

Protect your eyes seeing a solar eclipse.

How Not to Watch Solar Eclipses

According to NASA, the following materials should never be used to view a solar eclipse:
 sunglasses of any kind
 color film
 medical X-ray film
 smoked glass
 floppy disks
The Sun’s UV radiation can burn the retinas in the eyes leading to permanent damage or evenblindness.
This can occur even if your eyes are exposed to direct sunlight for just a few seconds.

Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse

DIY: Project the Sun.

The only way to safely view the Sun – eclipsed or not – is to either project or filter the Sun's rays.

Projectors
Projection works well. You can make your own box projectoror use a telescope or binoculars. However,
don't look through the telescope’s eyepiece or side-mounted finder scope while projecting the Sun's image
onto a screen.

Eclipse Glasses
If you are not the DIY type, the American Astronomical Society has compiled a list of vendors where you
can buy safe eclipse glasses.

Use protective gear.

NASA recommends welder's glasses rated 14 or higher. These can be found at your local welding supply
store. Keep in mind that welder glass grading may be different in different countries.
Solar Filters
You can use special solar filters to watch the Sun during a solar eclipse, but use the proper type of solar
filter that is designed for eclipses. Check that filters do not crack under the Sun’s magnified and focused
intensity. Solar filters must be treated with care, or they can quickly become damaged and unsafe to use.

1. 1st Total Solar Eclipse in 38 Years...

...for those in contiguous United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). The last time anyone in
mainland US saw a total eclipse of the Sun was on February 26, 1979. If you live in the US and
miss this event, you'll have to wait 7 more years, until April 8, 2024, to see a total solar eclipse
from a location in the contiguous United States.
Animation: Next Eclipse in Your City

2. Most North Americans Will Be Able To See Totality...

...if they are willing to drive that is. The total eclipse will only be visible along the Moon's central
shadow, which at its widest will be about 115 kilometers (71.5 miles), according to some sources.
Its path will span from the country's West Coast to the East Coast. The rest of North America, as
well as Central America and northern parts of South America, will experience a partial solar
eclipse. NASA has estimated that a majority of the American population lives less than a 2-day
drive away from the path of totality.
Interactive map: Is your city is on the path of totality?

3. A Once-In-A-Lifetime Event

While total solar eclipses are not rare—they occur twice every 3 years on average and can be
seen from some part of the Earth—a total eclipse of the Sun that can be seen from the American
West Coast to the American East Coast occurs less frequently. In fact, the last time a total solar
eclipse was visible from coast to coast was almost 100 years ago, on June 8, 1918!
What makes this eclipse extra special is that it is the first time since the total solar eclipse of
January 11, 1880 that a total solar eclipse will occur exclusively over the continental United
States—no other country will see totality, though many countries will see a partial eclipse of the
Sun.
Because of these reasons, the eclipse is also being called the Great American Eclipse.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Newport, Oregon will be one of the first places in mainland U.S.
to see totality.©iStockphoto.com/mattalberts

4. Parts of 14 American States Will Go Dark...

...for the 2 minutes of totality. The Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon will be the first
location on continental US soil to see totality. The partial phase of the eclipse will begin here at
9:04 am local time. Lincoln City, Oregon will also be one of the first locations in the country to
experience totality.
Oregonians will also be the first to see totality as the Moon's shadow moves east at an average
speed of about 3600 km/h (2237 mph). After Oregon, the eclipse will move through Idaho,
Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia,
and South Carolina. Montana and Iowa are the only states where the path of totality will pass
through unpopulated areas. People in Charleston, South Carolina will be some of the last people
in the US to see totality.
Eclipse times in your city
Nashville, Tennessee is one of the few large cities in the United States to fall completely within
the eclipse's path of totality. Interestingly, only some parts of Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas
City, Missouri will be able to see a total solar eclipse.

5. Totality Will Be Spectacular

The diamond ring and prominences visible at totality.©iStockphoto.com/silkenphotography

If you are lucky enough to be in the path of totality, you are in for an astronomical
treat, weather permitting, of course. When the eclipse begins, at 1st contact, it will appear as if
the Moon is taking a bite out of the Sun. As the eclipse progresses, the sky will get darker, the
temperature will drop, and if you pay attention, animals and birds will become quieter.
At 2nd contact, which is when totality begins, Baily's Beadsbecome visible. As the Moon
completely covers the Sun's surface, the diamond ring can be seen. You might also see pink
spots called prominences near the diamond. These spots are caused by gases on the Sun's
surface.
Totality is the only time when one can see the corona, the Sun's atmosphere. At 3rd contact,
Baily's Beads will once again become visible and a second diamond ring may appear.
Science of total solar eclipses

6. Stars During the Daytime

As the sky turns dark, planets and stars hidden in the sky by the Sun's bright light will reappear.
Look for Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus during totality.
Planets visible in your night sky
How far is a planet from Earth?

Never look directly at the Sun. Always wear protective eclipse

glasses.©iStockphoto.com/AlbertoRoura

7. You Will Need Eye Protection

Do not look directly at the Sun, before, during or after the eclipse without any protective eyewear.
Looking at the Sun with your naked eyes is highly dangerous and can even cause blindness. The
safest way to see a solar eclipse is to wear protective eclipse glasses or use a pinhole projector
you can easily make yourself.

8. Part of Saros Series 145

Solar eclipses occur in cycles. The Saros cycle, one of the most studied eclipse cycles, occurs
every 18 years. Two solar eclipses separated by a Saros cycle have similar features—they occur
at the same lunar node, with the Moon roughly at the same distance from the Earth. The eclipses
also take place at about the same time of the year and around the same time of day. Eclipses
that are separated by a Saros cycle are part of a Saros series.
The August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse belongs to Saros series 145. It is the 22nd eclipse in a
series of 77 eclipses. The series began with a partial solar eclipse visible from the Northern
Hemisphere on January 4, 1639 and will end with a partial solar eclipse visible from the Southern
Hemisphere on April 17, 3009.
The next eclipse in the series—a total solar eclipse—will take place on September 2, 2035.

9. Two Weeks Before: Partial Lunar Eclipse

A solar eclipse always takes place about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.
Two weeks before the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, on August 7/ 8, 2017, a partial lunar
eclipsewill be visible from parts of South and East Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia.