Christine Drews Sieger
A total solar eclipse will cross parts of Europe, Greenland, and Russia on August 12, requiring certified eye protection for safe viewing.
On August 12, a spectacular total solar eclipse will darken the skies over Greenland, Iceland, Russia, Spain, and Portugal, according to CNN.
Tens of thousands of observers will gather in the zone of totality to watch the moon completely block the sun.
Stargazers in Spain can look forward to an extra treat as the obscured solar disk sets into the ocean.
Specialized eclipse glasses
Surrounding regions in North America, Europe, and Africa will instead experience a partial solar eclipse. Even a small sliver of exposed sunlight emits enough radiation to destroy retinal cells.
This causes solar retinopathy, a permanent condition that leaves victims with severe vision loss and no medical cure.
Standard sunglasses offer no protection against this light intensity. Safe viewing requires specialized eclipse glasses that meet the strict international ISO 12312-2 safety standard, CNN reports.
Protecting Your Vision
To avoid accidental eye exposure, users should keep their eyes shielded at all times while facing the sun, only removing the glasses after turning their gaze completely away.
Viewing the event through magnifiers like binoculars or camera lenses requires a specialized filter attached directly to the front lens. Otherwise, the magnified beam will instantly melt standard eye protection and cause severe damage.
Concentrated rays passing through an unfiltered camera lens will burn right through standard eclipse glasses in a fraction of a second.
Fortunately, undamaged eclipse glasses never expire and can be reused for years. CNN advises to preserve the eyewear for future eclipses and keep them stored flat in a dry paper sleeve. Avoid using liquids or damp cloths for cleaning, as moisture weakens the paper frame.
How to use welding filters to view the eclipse
Welding filters marked with shade level 12 or higher offer another safe way to watch the celestial event unfold.
Shade 13 or 14 provides the most comfortable view, turning the blazing sun into a cool, green disk. Auto-darkening helmets are not recommended, as they rarely react quickly enough to prevent damage, according to CNN.
Indirect projection is a clever alternative for anyone without certified glasses. Poking a small pinhole in a cardstock card projects a clear, crescent-shaped image onto the ground when standing with your back to the sun.
Household items like colanders, straw hats, or tree leaves cast identical crescent-shaped shadows onto the pavement below.
