On Monday,
August 21, 2017, North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun, or a
“solar eclipse.” During a solar eclipse, the moon will pass between the sun and
the earth, actually blocking the sun either partially or completely depending
on where you are viewing it from. The blocking of the sun will last for up to
three hours from beginning to end depending on your viewing location. The
last time the contiguous U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 1979. This event turns day into night and makes the normally
hidden solar corona-the sun’s outer atmosphere- visible! Bright stars and
planets will become visible as well. This is one of nature’s most awesome
sights. In the Fairfield County,
Connecticut area, we will have a partial eclipse of about 67%. The start time
will be approximately 1:24 pm, the maximum eclipse view will be at
approximately 2:45 pm, with the end of the event occurring at 4:00 pm.
How Can You See It &
Avoid Eye Safety Risk?
You never want to look
directly at the sun without appropriate protection except during totality. “Retinal burns, called “solar retinitis” or “solar retinopathy”
can be produced by direct gazing at the sun. This potentially serious problem
is caused by the thermal effects of the visible and near infrared rays focused
on the pigment layer of the retina. “We almost never see patients with solar
retinopathy at other times because the normal eye only tolerates very brief
glances at the sun. But, during a solar eclipse it is possible to have
prolonged direct viewing of the sun that often results in retinal damage if you
don’t take the precaution of wearing proper protective solar filtering
glasses,” Dr. Leslie Doctor.
The only safe way to
look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through
special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar
viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not
safe for looking at the sun. “To be safe to view a solar eclipse, the eclipse
gasses must meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products,”
explained Dr. Doctor.
You may receive a free pair of eclipse
glasses, by visiting any Doctor & Associates or Willows Opticians location
including 129 Kings Highway N,
Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton,
Connecticut 06897 or 148 East Avenue #3e,
Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.
To learn more, please call
Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor& Associates in Fairfield County or Google+ .
