LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Monday’s solar eclipse will give some in North America a better view than others, but if you plan on viewing at all, it’s important to have the right eye protection.
In the U.P. most areas can view the eclipse at around 80% magnitude, but even with a majority of the sun covered, if you plan on viewing you should make sure to have eclipse glasses to protect your vision.
Shannon Schmoll, the director of Michigan State University’s Abrams Planetarium said counterfeit glasses are a cause for concern. she explained that the lenses of eclipse glasses shouldn’t look like regular sunglasses, real ones will be almost a thousand times darker.
Real eclipse glasses should block all light, but the sun, and will have an ISO 12312-2 certification, and be sure to check that there are no scratches or holes before use.
“There’s so much light that comes out of that that even if 99% of the sun is covered, there’s enough light that can harm your eyes and cause permanent damage,” Schmoll said. “When you look up outside on a sunny day away from the sun, you shouldn’t see any clouds through it, you shouldn’t be able to see any trees, you really should be able to see nothing through them unless you are looking right at the sun.”
Schmoll said indirect viewers can be another great way to watch the eclipse and can be built with just a cereal box, tinfoil, and a piece of printer paper. You can find instructions on NASA’s website: science.nasa.gov/resource/eclipse-cereal-box-viewer
Solar Eclipse Across America has a list of certified glasses retailers, including Rainbow Symphony and Mr. Eclipse. You can view that full list here: eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters
Less than one minute of looking directly at the sun can cause irreversible damage, and Monday’s eclipse is expected to last around 2 and a half hours. Proper eyewear is a crucial part of viewing the solar eclipse, even with glasses, viewers should only look for a few seconds every minute to be safe.
