Re:Amazon recalls eclipse glasses
by taneq on Sunday August 13, 2017 @11:53PM
(#15006494)
> When I was dumb and young I'd look at the sun for seconds at a time without any problems developing so far.
Hopefully this was during hazy sunsets. Or maybe you just have mega-strong pupils that can contract more than normal and that's why you're not blind.
> Is the danger that an eclipse encourages you to stare at the sun without encountering any pain?
Exactly. Human eyes aren't very good at handling ultra-high-dynamic-range scenes. During an eclipse, your surroundings are somewhere between twilight and night-time in brightness, so your pupils dilate. The small un-covered sliver of sun is still as bright as it is during the day, and can damage your eyes without triggering a painful 'too-bright' response. It's somewhat similar to the danger posed by a laser.
Hopefully this was during hazy sunsets. Or maybe you just have mega-strong pupils that can contract more than normal and that's why you're not blind.
> Is the danger that an eclipse encourages you to stare at the sun without encountering any pain?
Exactly. Human eyes aren't very good at handling ultra-high-dynamic-range scenes. During an eclipse, your surroundings are somewhere between twilight and night-time in brightness, so your pupils dilate. The small un-covered sliver of sun is still as bright as it is during the day, and can damage your eyes without triggering a painful 'too-bright' response. It's somewhat similar to the danger posed by a laser.