Man with eye damage from 1962 eclipse: Don't make the same mistake I did

[lunamagica]

As Lou Tomososki and a friend walked home from Marshall High School in Oregon one afternoon in 1962, they gazed up at the sky. For weeks, everyone had been talking about the partial solar eclipse and the teens wanted to witness it. For a few seconds, they looked at the sun as a sliver of the moon slid over its surface.

While watching, he saw flashes of light, much like he would after having a picture taken with a camera with a flashbulb. He had no idea those flickers would lead to permanent damage.

“We both got burned at the same time,” Tomososki told TODAY. “He got the left eye and I got the right eye.”

https://www.today.com/health/eclipse-eye-damage-man-who-hurt-vision-warns-others-t115190

[chillfactor]

1. I am way out of the eclipse path...

I may see some darkness but I do not intend to look at the sun. I do remember the eclipse in 1962 but I had eye protection then.

[Maraya1969]

2. K & R to keep people safe.

[dalton99a]

3. Vision loss is painless and irreversible

[defacto7]

4. I used to show my kids an example why they shouldn't

look at the sun. I get out the old magnifying glass and point it at a piece of paper while indoors where they can see an image on it. Ooo, ahhh... Then we go outside and I point the sun through the magnifying glass at the same paper. As the paper starts to burn I remind them that their eyes work like magnifying glasses. They get the point.

[No Vested Interest]

5. Just wondering. - After cataract surgery, one has artificial lenses.

Would they also be impacted by looking at the sun?

[vicman]

6. YES!!!!!!

The damage occurs at the back of the eye on the retina. PLEASE!!! NO ONE look at the Sun without proper eye protection!!!!!

[No Vested Interest]

7. Thank you for your informed response! nt

[milestogo]

8. I will be in the office safely staring at my computer.