On April 8th, 2024, residents of northwestern Ontario will experience a partial solar eclipse and watching the event without special eye protection can do serious damage to your vision.
From approximately 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm CST people in the northwest will see the moon block a portion of the sun. During this time the solar radiation being emitted from the sun can cause ‘eclipse blindness’ or retinal burns. This eye injury is caused because tissues inside the eye are heated to an extreme level – all without feeling pain. Blurred vision and loss of eyesight (immediate or delayed) is also possible and can take 12 to 48 hours to appear.
Thomas Nabb, Environmental Health Manager, explains “only viewing glasses with the ISO 12312-2 international standard markings are acceptable. Sunglasses, cameras, telescopes and binoculars are simply not safe.”
Public health officials and the Canadian Association of Optometrists recommend viewing the event online or making an eclipse box which is essentially a pinhole projector. Instructions on how to make an eclipse box are easy to find on the internet. For more information, including info about suppliers of safe solar viewers and filters, visit the NWHU website, or that of the Canadian Association of Optometrists.
