Natural spectacle: Partial solar eclipse: How to protect your eyes
That the moon covers most of the sun does not happen every day. Those who want to watch the solar eclipse on August 12 need special protection to do so. Without it, eye damage is threatened.
On Wednesday (August 12), many people will look expectantly at the sky after 7 p.m. If the sky is clear, they can observe a partial solar eclipse. The moon will cover a large portion of the sun - about 85 percent over Germany. However, looking at this celestial event with unprotected eyes can cause damage to the retina. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection warns that this can happen very quickly and may even lead to blindness in the worst case.
Warning signs for potential retina damage are not present. If problems are noticed while seeing, it is already too late. Ordinary sunglasses do not provide adequate protection for eyes during a partial solar eclipse. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection advises against using homemade protective measures such as blackened glasses or black film strips.
A protective eclipse lens that filters out up to 0.001 percent of sunlight and has extra-wide temple arms that block most light from the sides is the only effective way to protect eyes. These lenses must comply with the standards DIN EN ISO 12312-2:2015 and have a CE mark. If a person has an old protective eclipse lens from a previous solar eclipse in their drawer, they should carefully check it before using it again.
If the lens is scratched, has holes or tears, the BfS advises against using it as it will not provide adequate protection. Additionally, anyone wishing to observe the solar eclipse using binoculars, telescopes, or cameras should attach protective filters or films to the lenses, as lenses concentrate sunlight further, making it even more dangerous to expose eyes without proper protection.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
