How to protect your eyes from solar retinopathy.
On August 11, in Belgium a solar eclipse will occur which will be total in the Southern area of the country. Although the observation of a solar eclipse is an intriguing phenomenon, inappropriate shielding from the sunlight can cause irreversible ocular lesions. Besides good absolute absorption of visible light, a blocking of ultraviolet and infrared light is equally important. In this study, four homemade sun filters were tested: a soot-blackened piece of glass, a black unexposed developed slide film, an audio-CD and a recordable CD-ROM. Also two commercially available filters were investigated: eclipse-shades and mylar foil. The soot-blackened glass and black slide film slip were highly transparent for infrared light, making them dangerous for solar observation. The recordable CD-ROM was too transparent for visible light to serve as solar filter, while the audio-CD tested absorbed enough visible, ultraviolet and infrared light to make it suitable for eclipse viewing. However, many types of audio-CD's are available making it impossible for the observer to know if a given CD is safe to use for solar viewing. Both commercially available solar filters tested had a good absolute visible light absorption, as well as an equally good absorption of ultraviolet and infrared light, making them safe for eclipse observation.
Stalmans
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P
Dienst Oogziekten UZ Leuven. Peter.Stalmans@med.kuleuven.ac.be
Weckhuysen
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B
Schoonheydt
R
R
Leys
A
A
Missotten
L
L
Spileers
W
W
Dralands
L
L
D001530:Belgium; D004867:Equipment Design; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005135:Eye Protective Devices; D006801:Humans; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012607:Scotoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016082:Solar System; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*