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Title: Can you really go blind by staring at the Sun?
Source:
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URL Source: http://www.sciencefocus.com/qa/can-you-really-go-blind-staring-sun
Published: Aug 21, 2017
Author: Steven A Collins
Post Date: 2017-08-21 10:54:04 by no gnu taxes
Keywords: None
Views: 7109
Comments: 21
It’s possible, but the hazard is often exaggerated. Even at midday, a normal eye will only let in enough light to heat the retina by about 4°C. You need at least 10°C to cause thermal damage. Looking at the Sun during an eclipse for more than a minute can cause damage, because your pupils are more dilated during this, but it doesn’t result in total blindness and isn’t usually permanent. If the Sun is within 10 minutes of setting below a sea-level horizon, the more dangerous short-wavelength light is absorbed by the atmosphere and it should be quite safe to look at the Sun.
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#1. To: no gnu taxes (#0)
18 seconds. If you look directly at the sun for more than 15 seconds, you will burn a permanent spot on your retina that will never heal. A GLANCE probably won't destroy your vision, but what is going on up there is fascinating, and draws you in, and you really LOOK - and then you're blind for life. It isn't just during an eclipse. Stare at the sun on any day, and you'll burn your retinas blind. But who stares into the Sun? It's when there's an eclipse that the problem comes, because everybody wants to LOOK, and when looking, people are drawn to stare. And that will leave you blind.
You overlook that significant damage can be caused by sunburn to the inner eye. And no pain receptors to warn you of the danger. I do think this is a little overhyped.
Yes. A one second, two second glance isn't going to do anything. But 15-18 seconds will leave you with a blind spot for life. That's not a huge margin. I'll go out at the eclipse and glance at it when it happens, but that's just it - a glance - no staring at it. Stare at the midday sun for more than a few seconds on any day and you will be blind for life.
You are cautious. I can't say overcautious because we shouldn't encourage anyone to ever stare directly at the sun. Nothing good can come from it.
"If I look hard enough into the setting sun, My love will laugh with me until the morning comes." - Rolling Stones
http://ijr.com/the-declaration/2017/08/953203-jeff-sessions-watching-solar-eclipse-pure-thing-internet/
#18. To: hondo68, Vicomte13, misterwhite (#12)
HotAir: To cleanse the palate. What was the one rule every eclipse-watcher knew by heart this morning? Right — don’t look directly at it without special filtered glasses. (Except during the 90 seconds or so of totality, when it’s fine.) Newspapers are littered with stories today about imbeciles who did that in previous eclipses, believing they were invincible, and ended up paying the price. Many more imbeciles did it today as well, of course, and are also paying the price. Word circulated this afternoon that the president himself would observe the eclipse today from the Truman balcony of the White House, which naturally kicked off a round of speculation. Was he, er, going to wear the glasses? Or would he go full Trump? Remember, he hates following conventional wisdom. Trump critics imagined the fallout if he decided to “go commando,” as it were: — leon (@leyawn) August 21, 2017 — Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) August 21, 2017 He did, in fact, wear the glasses as the sun passed over D.C. — for the most part. But some of the still photos taken while he was on the balcony caught him sneaking glimpses without the protective eyewear, producing unintentionally hilarious photos that make it look like Trump was staring right into the heart of doom despite the omnipresent warnings not to do that. CNN (who else?) has no fewer than three pictures of Trump looking right at it. There was no totality in Washington rendering it safe to look, either. The sun was 81 percent obscured, still plenty visible enough to cause damage. This is the moment Trump became president: — Business Insider (@businessinsider) August 21, 2017 Is the president blind now? Nah. I think it’s just a case of the still photos being deceptive. He did sneak a few glimpses without the glasses, as you’ll see in this clip, but they were split-second peeks. The “Trump blinded himself by staring at the eclipse” story is, I dare say, fake news: — NBC News (@NBCNews) August 21, 2017 He’ll be okay. I … think. But wait — who’s that guy standing off to the side on the balcony with him? Could it be…? — Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) August 21, 2017 Jeff Sessions hanging out with Trump at the White House? When did that rift get healed? Is it an eclipse miracle or did John Kelly pull the president aside and explain that it’s really weird and unseemly for him to be feuding publicly with his own handpicked AG? Either way, the stars have aligned and nationalist America has witnessed a harmonic convergence between the president and his populist attorney general. Update: This reads like a pitch-perfect parody of Jared and Ivanka constantly spinning themselves as the voice of reason inside the White House after Trump does something questionable, but it appears to be legit: — Benjamin Landy (@Ben_Landy) August 21, 2017
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#4. To: Vicomte13 (#1)
18 seconds. If you look directly at the sun for more than 15 seconds, you will burn a permanent spot on your retina that will never heal.
#6. To: Tooconservative (#4)
I do think this is a little overhyped.
#7. To: Vicomte13 (#6)
#11. To: Tooconservative (#7)
I can't say overcautious because we shouldn't encourage anyone to ever stare directly at the sun.
#12. To: Vicomte13, Blind Trumpkins (#11)
Replies to Comment # 12. Eclipse glasses are for cucks
id say theres about a 50% chance this happens later pic.twitter.com/dQ1zqZWxqv Preview of tonight’s Tucker Carlson pic.twitter.com/DawbInUrWl Trump looked at the solar eclipse without glasses on https://t.co/hyfMou0Cve pic.twitter.com/zUQmpOaHG4 WATCH: President Trump took a few glances at the #SolarEclipse2017 after taking off his protective glasses pic.twitter.com/espSHwMGwq Most adorable eclipse photo goes to… Jeff Sessions pic.twitter.com/9w4GtWRfnV Per sources: Ivanka/Jared among those pushing Trump to keep protective glasses on during eclipse Monday, "disappointed" that he did not…
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