For a better experience during eclipse, wear red and green

As Texas observers make plans to view the total eclipse of the sun on April 8, experts say wearing shades of reds and greens could enhance the viewing experience.

A spokesperson at Solar Eyeglasses, a California-based solar eclipse glasses company, says there's a science behind how humans perceive colors in low light — called the Purkinje Effect. According to MerriamWebster, the Purkinje effect, also known as the Purkinje phenomenon, is when the human eye becomes more sensitive to cool rather than warm colors in low light.

In normal daylight, the human eye uses the “cone cells” of the retina to see colors clearly and work better under bright light conditions, according to a release by the glasses company.

However, as it gets darker, the human eye switches to “rod cells,” which work better for low light conditions. These cells are not great with colors and pick up blue-green hues, the release states.

“This isn't just an eclipse thing,” the Solar Eyeglasses spokesperson said in a written statement. “It's similar to how we observe garden flowers in the evening. Reds turn darker, almost black, while blues and greens get brighter.”

The Mesopic Vision Zone phase occurs four to five minutes before the solar eclipse becomes total, when it's not too bright or dark, but the surroundings are less colorful, the release states.

This causes a decrease in vibrancy or saturation of colors people see as the eyes pick gray overtones of the surroundings. This is noticeable with warm colors such as red and orange, according to experts.

However, the color green would look brighter against its dimmer surroundings, the release states.

“This Purkinje effect during the coming eclipse will turn the whole experience from just watching the sky go dark to a real-life science demo on your clothes,” the Solar Eyeglasses spokesperson said. “But to really see the changes in color saturation, lots of people need to wear these complementary red and green colors. Two or five in a group of 100 wouldn't help.”

A total solar eclipse is expected to occur over Texas on April 8. The last time the Lone Star State saw a total solar eclipse was in 1878.

On average, a total solar eclipse passes by a given point on Earth once every 375 years.

Steve Gonzales/Staff file photo As the surroundings darken during the eclipse, the human eye will adapt, experts say. Wear reds and greens to see how.