I Can Watch a Solar Eclipse with Sunglasses?

Ophthalmology Myth: “I Can Watch a Solar Eclipse with Sunglasses”

FALSE. And it may cause permanent damage to your vision.

Whenever a solar eclipse occurs, many people try to observe it directly. A common misconception is that dark sunglasses provide enough protection, but this is far from the truth.

Sunglasses, even high-quality ones, are not designed to protect the retina from the enormous amount of energy emitted by the Sun. They reduce glare but still allow enough harmful radiation to reach the eye and potentially cause irreversible damage to the macula, the area responsible for our sharpest vision.

What can happen?

Looking directly at the Sun during a solar eclipse can cause solar retinopathy, a retinal injury produced by the phototoxic effect of sunlight on the photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium.

Symptoms usually appear several hours after exposure and may include:

• Blurred vision.
• A dark or grey spot in the centre of vision.
• Distorted straight lines.
• Difficulty reading or recognising faces.
• Reduced contrast sensitivity.

Although some patients recover over time, others may suffer permanent visual impairment.

How can you safely observe a solar eclipse?

 Use only eclipse glasses certified according to the ISO 12312-2 international standard.

 Observe the eclipse indirectly using a pinhole projector or a telescope fitted with a certified solar filter placed in front of the objective lens.

 Never use:

• Sunglasses.
• X-ray films.
• Smoked glass.
• CDs or DVDs.
• Standard photographic filters.

The most important message

If your sunglasses are suitable for driving on a sunny day, they are NOT suitable for looking at a solar eclipse.

The retina has no pain receptors. You may be damaging your vision without feeling anything until several hours later.

Protecting your eyes for just a few minutes can prevent a lifetime of visual damage.