The total solar eclipse is less than a week away.
It’s predicted hundreds of thousands will be watching the eclipse from Oregon, but are your eyes safe from the sun?
“When you get your solar glasses, it should just be completely dark unless you’re looking at the sun,” Dr. Ben Taylor with the Medical Eye Center in Medford said.
The 2017 August Solar Eclipse is an exciting time for many.
But an event that lasts minutes can cause a lifetime of damage without proper eye protection.
“Things would be blurrier than they’re used to, or maybe they could notice some distortion,” Dr. Ben Taylor said.
Dr. Ben Taylor with the Medical Eye Center in Medford says looking directly at the sun even has a chance of making you blind.
“That will damage an area of the eye called the macula which is where we get our best focusing”, Dr. Ben Taylor said.
That’s why the Medical Eye Center is stressing the importance of eclipse viewers using solar glasses that fit the international safety standards.
To find out whether your solar glasses are legitimate, search for ISO 12312-2 printed on them.
According to NASA, the only safe time to view the eclipse without protection is when the moon is completely covering the sun.
And that’s only if you’re in the path of totality.
NASA is also asking the public to turn away before removing your solar filter, to not look through an unfiltered camera, telescope or binoculars, and of course, to supervise children using solar filters.
You can find the correct eclipse glasses at Fred Meyer, the Medford library, or at the Medical Eye Center.
A list of other reputable vendors can be found here.
You can also view the eclipse by creating a pinhole projector.
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