(WSVN) - Although it sounds like a tempting work-around, doctors at Columbia University Medical Center say taking a selfie during the eclipse may not be such a good idea.
According to Dr. Tongalp Tezel, your phone screen can reflect the suns rays right back at you.
“Many people will think it’s safe to take a selfie with the eclipse in the background because they aren’t looking directly at the sun,” said Tezel, a retina expert at Columbia University Medical Center. “What they may not realize is that the screen of your phone reflects the ultraviolet rays emitted during an eclipse directly toward your eye, which can result in a solar burn.”
Dr. Tezel said Sir Isaac Newton damaged his eyes when he watched the reflection of an eclipse in the surface of a pond.
Sunglasses are also not effective, he says.
“Because sunglasses make everything appear darker, your pupils become enlarged, letting in more of the harmful rays,” said Dr. Tezel.
According to Tezel, the safest way to view the eclipse is with the proper viewing equipment or through the use of an indirect viewing method like a pinhole projector.
The next solar eclipse that will be visible from the United States will be on April 8, 2024.
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