August 21 Solar Eclipse News: Why Public Must Wear Filter Glasses When Viewing the Natural Phenomenon
After almost a century,the USA will be experiencing a total solar eclipse spanning coast to coast once more, and those who will be privileged to experience the totality are strongly advised to wear their solar filter glasses when viewing the sun being covered by the shadow of the moon on August 21.
While the total solar eclipse is a sight to behold for many people, those who plan to witness the rare natural phenomenon are strongly advised to wear solar eclipse glasses as even one percent of the sun's light can cause permanent damage to the retinas. With the use of solar eclipse glasses, though, one can prevent the permanent damage to his eyes as the pair of eye protection can effectively filter out 100 percent of harmful ultraviolet, infrared, and intense visible light.
An ideal pair of solar eclipse glasses, though, should have an ISO 12312-2, CE or EU mark that signifies it has been safety tested. While many online stores now sell online glasses, such as those of the brands Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17, those who have been invited to various solar eclipse viewing events on Monday will surely get a pair for free. It has also been learned that the Space Science Institute (SSI) and the Moore Foundation are giving away 1.26 million solar eclipse glasses free of charge that will be distributed by around 4,800 libraries.
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While the solar eclipse glasses are a must when viewing the eclipse, it is recommended that they be only used within the first 2 minutes of the totality. After all, if they do longer, they will be missing out on witnessing the totality with their naked eye.
The total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 will be witnessed in 14 American states, including Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
The last time a total eclipse was visible from coast to coast in the USA was on June 8, 1918.
