[ad_1]
Ahead of the solar eclipse that’s scheduled to move across North America in April, doctors in South Carolina say while the eclipse can be a cool experience, it may also come with the potential for permanent eye damage. Doctors with Prisma Health on Thursday said while the Upstate will not see a total solar eclipse, the partial eclipse is still too bright to view with the naked eye. “There are no pain fibers in the retina, so you’re getting this tremendous damage to your eye if you’re looking at the sun unprotected, and you don’t even know it’s happening because it doesn’t hurt,” said Dr. Janette White, a pediatric ophthalmologist. “The damage can be profound, and over the course of minutes to hours to even a few days, then the visual effects become apparent.”On April 8 at around 3 p.m., more than 80% of the sun will be obscured by the moon during the eclipse. “The partial eclipse in Greenville, we probably will not see the corona, but it will get pretty dark because it’s a really deep eclipse,” said David Moffett, the chair of Furman University’s physics department.Doctors recommend people who intend on watching the eclipse use eclipse glasses to prevent damaging their retinas. They said the glasses can be purchased at local hardware stores and do not recommend using phones or telescopes without the proper filters.”Sunglasses won’t work,” said Dr. Grant Brown, a pediatric optician. “These, actually, when they’re measured, are 100,000 times darker than the darkest pair of sunglasses.”Doctors warn that damage to the retina can happen quickly. “It can be everywhere from blurry to you can’t read tiny letters on the eye chart like you used to be able to,” White said. “You can’t even see the center of the eye chart. Your peripheral vision is intact, but you have a hole in the area of your central vision.”White is also asking parents to speak with their children ahead of the eclipse, so they know how to view it properly. She adds that children are at greater risk than adults.”A child has a crystal clear lens,” she said. “Everything is getting straight through, and they are at greater risk than us older folk.”The eclipse, however, can also be an opportunity for scientists like Moffett, who will be traveling to Dallas to witness totality. “I’m still going to try to capture the image I need to replicate that general relativity experiment,” he said. “That’s still on my mind. I have the equipment set up for that, but for the most part, I’m there to enjoy the eclipse.”Several school districts have shifted to e-learning as a result of the eclipse. Click here to learn more.
Ahead of the solar eclipse that’s scheduled to move across North America in April, doctors in South Carolina say while the eclipse can be a cool experience, it may also come with the potential for permanent eye damage.
Doctors with Prisma Health on Thursday said while the Upstate will not see a total solar eclipse, the partial eclipse is still too bright to view with the naked eye.
“There are no pain fibers in the retina, so you’re getting this tremendous damage to your eye if you’re looking at the sun unprotected, and you don’t even know it’s happening because it doesn’t hurt,” said Dr. Janette White, a pediatric ophthalmologist. “The damage can be profound, and over the course of minutes to hours to even a few days, then the visual effects become apparent.”
On April 8 at around 3 p.m., more than 80% of the sun will be obscured by the moon during the eclipse.
“The partial eclipse in Greenville, we probably will not see the corona, but it will get pretty dark because it’s a really deep eclipse,” said David Moffett, the chair of Furman University’s physics department.
Doctors recommend people who intend on watching the eclipse use eclipse glasses to prevent damaging their retinas.
They said the glasses can be purchased at local hardware stores and do not recommend using phones or telescopes without the proper filters.
“Sunglasses won’t work,” said Dr. Grant Brown, a pediatric optician. “These, actually, when they’re measured, are 100,000 times darker than the darkest pair of sunglasses.”
Doctors warn that damage to the retina can happen quickly.
“It can be everywhere from blurry to you can’t read tiny letters on the eye chart like you used to be able to,” White said. “You can’t even see the center of the eye chart. Your peripheral vision is intact, but you have a hole in the area of your central vision.”
White is also asking parents to speak with their children ahead of the eclipse, so they know how to view it properly. She adds that children are at greater risk than adults.
“A child has a crystal clear lens,” she said. “Everything is getting straight through, and they are at greater risk than us older folk.”
The eclipse, however, can also be an opportunity for scientists like Moffett, who will be traveling to Dallas to witness totality.
“I’m still going to try to capture the image I need to replicate that general relativity experiment,” he said. “That’s still on my mind. I have the equipment set up for that, but for the most part, I’m there to enjoy the eclipse.”
Several school districts have shifted to e-learning as a result of the eclipse. Click here to learn more.
Source link
