MACON, Ga. — From Washington to Florida, boxes of solar eclipse glasses will be shipped across the country, including to right here in central Georgia.
“These look like sunglasses, but you can't see a thing through them here in the room,” said Dr. Sid Moore, an ophthalmologist at the Eye Center of Central Georgia. He described the type of glasses you need to look at the sun and not damage your eyes. No, they're not normal sunglasses.
“That would be the equivalent of looking at the sun without any protection,” said Moore.
To safely view the eclipse, you’ll need ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses. These are the glasses that will protect your retina from incoming solar radiation.
“Your eye works like a magnifying glass,” said Moore. “If you ever get one and shine it on a piece of paper, it starts to burn. Well, the same thing will happen to your retina.”
While these glasses protect your eyes from the sun, they could cause you issues elsewhere. Remember when Dr. Moore said he couldn't see anything in the room? That's because the glasses are filtering out most of the light. Do not drive with the solar eclipse glasses on.
“Yeah, no, don’t wear anything like that when you’re driving,” said Moore. “Treat the sun like you normally would, you know everybody glances at the sun.”
So here's what you need to know…
- You need the ISO certified solar glasses to safely view the eclipse
- Make sure the solar glasses are not damaged in any way
- Only use the solar eclipse glasses to look at the sun
- Make plans to get the solar eclipse glasses soon. They'll be in short supply as the eclipse nears.
“There's nothing you really need to be afraid of,” Moore said. “Just don't stare at the sun!”