Eye Safety Tips for the Solar Eclipse, Aug. 7

On August 21, 2017 Coos County will witness a partial solar eclipse, which requires protective eyewear to be seen safely. A total solar eclipse is a rare event. Coos County will be just outside of the line of totality and experience a large percentage of coverage during the August 21, 2017 eclipse event. Over the course of two hours, the sun will slowly be blocked by the moon resulting in near darkness for almost two minutes. The state of Oregon is anticipating increased traffic and tourism during the days leading up to this event. Watching the solar eclipse without proper eye protection can cause a lifetime of vision damage. Looking at the eclipse can cause serious, permanent eye injury. In Coos County, at no point will it be safe to look at the eclipse without eye protection. Tips for safely watching the solar eclipse: • Only use certified solar eclipse glasses to view the eclipse in Coos County. Certified glasses will be marked with ISO 12312-2 and can be purchased at many large stores in Coos County or online; • Regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the solar eclipse. • Do not try to watch the eclipse while driving, or walking. • Children should always be supervised when using the solar glasses, or other certified protective means of watching the solar eclipse. • Don’t look at the sun through a camera, binoculars or other optical device while using solar glasses of viewers. • At no point in Coos County will it be safe to look at the eclipse without protective eyewear. The eclipse will reach its maximum coverage in Coos County between 10:15 and 10:25 in the morning. For more information visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/  or https://eclipse.aas.org/