Book 13, Question 143
Why Are Special Eclipse Glasses Safe When Ordinary Sunglasses Are Not?
Special eclipse glasses are safe because they block almost all of the Sun's light! Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, let in far too much. Never look straight at the Sun, and ask a grown-up to help you find certified eclipse glasses.
More fun facts
- Even very dark sunglasses let through thousands of times too much sunlight to look at the Sun.
- Homemade filters are not safe for looking at the Sun either.
- Eclipse glasses are special solar filters made for looking at the Sun.
- During a partial eclipse, you must always use eclipse glasses or a safe solar viewer.
- Eclipse glasses are not regular sunglasses.
Sources: NASA, NASA Science, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
How can you tell when totality starts?
When you can no longer see any part of the Sun through your eclipse glasses.