How to view the rare solar eclipse safely
Take precautions if you’re going to watch Monday’s eclipse
Just after 2 p.m. on Monday, the sky over southeastern Pennsylvania will begin to darken.
It won’t be because of an incoming storm or a massive swarm of locusts or an alien invasion. It will be because of a rare cosmic event.
The moon will pass between the Earth and sun, causing a total solar eclipse.
While Berks County and the surrounding region won’t see the sun totally blacked out — the viewing path for the total eclipse is through northwestern Pennsylvania — the area will experience about a 90% eclipse. And that’s something worth checking out.
“This is really science, and science at its best,” said Dr. Brian Lahmann, chair of the department of emergency medicine at Reading Hospital. “I would encourage people to go out and see the solar eclipse.”
But, Lahmann added, if people do want to check out the eclipse they should make sure to do it safely.
It may seem natural when something special is happening in the sky to simply crane your neck and look up. That, Lahmann said, isn’t a great idea when it comes to the eclipse.
“Looking directly at the sun can cause eye damage,” he explained. “If you’re planning on participating, the most important thing is to not look directly at the sun.”
“The sun is emitting powerful UV rays, and those rays go into your eye and hit the back of your eye, your retina. And the damage can happen quickly.”
— Dr. Brian Lahmann, chair of the department of emergency medicine at Reading Hospital
Lahmann said staring at the sun, even for just a few seconds, can cause temporary or even permanent vision loss.
“The sun is emitting powerful UV rays, and those rays go into your eye and hit the back of your eye, your retina,” he said. “And the damage can happen quickly.”
That damage can have symptoms such as eye pain, a burning sensation, blurry vision and tearing, Lahmann said.
The danger not only exists in staring at the sun with the naked eye, Lahmann said. Looking at the sun through a camera, binoculars or a telescope can also result in eye damage, he said.
To avoid eye damage, Lahmann said anyone wanting to view the eclipse should use special eclipse-viewing glasses. They can be purchased at all sorts of local stores or bought online. Some local organizations, like libraries, are also giving them away for free.
Another option, he said, is to build a box pinhole projector. Made from a cereal box or something similar, they allow people to indirectly and safely view the phenomenon.
For directions on how to craft the boxes visit NASA’s website at svs.gsfc. nasa.gov/14391.