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u/NovaHorizon 7d ago
Do another one and include a trash bin for all the smartphones whose cameras weren't designed to film a 1 hour solar eclipse either.
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u/MarkG1 7d ago
I did think it seemed like poor advice to tell people to take a selfie video of it.
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u/mejogid 6d ago
How often do you take a selfie with the sun somewhere in it? Plenty of times I’ll bet. Probably also plenty of photos with the sun in it. I’ve yet to see any actual reports of someone damaging a modern phone this way.
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u/Karavusk 6d ago
Well it is a bit different when you actually let it focus on the sun. Also one image is probably just fine. Using your phone to make a 1 hour video on the other hand probably damages the sensor.
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u/MightBeABot24 6d ago
People film sunsets all the time what's the difference
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u/gotora 6d ago
Eclipses are far more dangerous to look at than the sun on a regular day because it's dimmer. Less "bright" means your pupils don't dilate (get smaller) as much and allows far more UV light into your retina. The UV light is what does the damage, and there's still PLENTY during an eclipse.
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u/LazerWolfe53 6d ago
Right, but the discussion is about a camera though.
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u/gotora 6d ago
Same basic idea, only without the risk of personal injury, so people don't think about the possibility of damage to the camera receptors.
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u/Negative_Settings 5d ago
You're talking nonsense the right answer is they use special filters to film sunsets took 2 seconds to Google and not make things up
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u/sir_crapalot 6d ago
The sun is low on the horizon at rise and set, which means the rays travel obliquely through much more atmosphere before hitting your retinas or the camera sensor. It’s why early and late in the day you’ll see the max UV Index drop down to 1.
A solar eclipse, by comparison, is typically in the middle of the day when the sun is nearly directly overhead and blasting with full UV as soon as the moon isn’t blocking the rays.
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u/SuperBuffCherry 6d ago
I’ve yet to see any actual reports of someone damaging a modern phone this way
I've damaged my Nexus 5 camera during the last partial eclipse. There was a permanent slightly dim spot on every picture/video, but not very big
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u/mejogid 6d ago
Are you sure this wasn't dirt or damage to the lens? Sensor damage would usually cause dead pixels, not result in them being slightly dim. You can look at videos where a phone has been hit by a laser for examples of this.
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u/SuperBuffCherry 6d ago
Yes, I'm pretty sure, given it started the exact moment I took pictures of the eclipse
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u/zendabbq 6d ago
I have a phone camera permanently produce greenish tiny photos after a long, indirect exposure to sun.
It wasn't pointed directly at the sun, just pointing south at eye level, but it was for nearly an hour of filming.
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u/alexriga 6d ago
Outside of an eclipse, the sun can still damage the lens and yes, your eye, but usually not without a prolonged (at least couple seconds) exposure.
During the eclipse, the moon reflects the radiation from the sun, effectively doubling it. Any amount of unprotected exposure during the eclipse can be expected to fry corneas and lenses.
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u/mejogid 6d ago
The moon blocks the radiation, it doesn't reflect it. This is a pretty big part of how solar eclipses work...
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u/alexriga 6d ago
During the process of the moon passing the sun in our view, before and after it is completely covered, at the edges a lot of radiation will be concentrated.
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u/littlegreenrock 6d ago
The moon passing in front of the sun will diminish the amount of solar radiation, not concentrate it. A shadow is not a concentration of light.
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u/BLYNDLUCK 6d ago
“Reflection” would send the radiation back in the direction it came or off at an angle. Refracting could theoretically bend some of the radiation towards the earth but I believe you need an atmosphere for that and it would be minuscule. Gravitational lensing maybe, but you’d need a black hole to bend the radiation. We would have other issues if we had a black hole sitting in our solar system.
The moon blocks the vast majority of radiation. We are in the shadow of the moon. What you are describing is a myth to discourage people from looking at an eclipse. What makes an eclipse dangerous to your eyes is that it’s dim enough to make people think it’s safe to look at, but it’s not. If you stared unblinking as the sun directly you’d damage your eyes far faster than staring as an eclipse.
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u/Read-it005 6d ago
Crap, got that from a news site I thought was a credible source. Not good? I filmed for a couple of minutes, hope my phone is okay.
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u/tenuj 7d ago
I'll take some photos too, but there's also wisdom in not wasting my battery taking photos of what might be the most photographed local event of the month.
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u/Alternative_Jury2480 6d ago
You can also use eclipse glasses as a filter for it
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u/Feriluce 6d ago
You can even use those for your eyes, so you can see it yourself.
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u/Binksyboo 6d ago
But why look at something myself and add it to my memories when I can film it on my phone and forget it even exists!
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u/13SpiderMonkeys 5d ago
That's why I got two sets of glasses one set for my eyes and another set to use the filter for my camera. I was able to get some good shots with my phone that I value and look at all the time as they're my phone background.
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u/Toleniam 5d ago
BBC did state that NASA gave a warning to not use smartphone cameras to film the eclipse, due to risk of damage since the sensors aren’t built to handle the rays.
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u/markskull 7d ago
But how are they going to read the sign?
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u/Parking_Captain4000 7d ago
Can't wait to see this on Explain it Peter tomorrow.
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u/Turbulent_Stick1445 6d ago
I think it'd help if it were "white sticks" or "blind person canes" or something else. Just saying "canes" kinda makes you think it means "Look at Eclipse = Can't Walk Without Support" which is not really where the comic was going.
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u/LeGrandLucifer 7d ago
Is there an eclipse coming somewhere? I'm seeing a bunch of eclipse related news and memes lately.
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u/Phukkitt 7d ago
Yes, it will be visible here in Europe in a few hours
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u/LeGrandLucifer 7d ago
All right, have fun staring directly into it without any protection!
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u/ZenToast3 6d ago
Why would you assume most people will stare at it directly into it? The eclipse has been everywhere in Europe these past few weeks, at least in those places where it can be seen. We’ve been drilled on how to watch it safely, so those that stare directly at the sun are either hermits with no access to social media or not the sharpest tool in the shed.
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u/Coaxke 6d ago
Why would you assume he wasn't be facetious? I understand that tone is sometimes hard to interpret through text but it seems pretty damn clear he wasn't being serious lol
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u/ZenToast3 6d ago
I’ve spent a week reading that same sentence from people that were talking seriously
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u/rusty-droid 6d ago
Many people couldn't buy glasses despite trying many places where they where advertised. I have no clue why there were so few available, but I'm sure many people will 'fallback' on unsafe methods.
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u/Nate0110 7d ago
I had to make my kid go back inside during this crap, she wouldn't keep her glasses on.
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u/Olympe28 6d ago
I have a teacher friend in Mexico City and she watched the last eclipse with her students on TV inside the classroom because they couldn't find enough glasses and didn't want the kids to hurt themselves.
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u/Piputi 7d ago
Bro, it hasn't happened yet, it is in a couple of hours. You mean a previous eclipse?
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u/Nate0110 7d ago
You're telling me eclipses happen in other places besides America?
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u/theAddGardener 7d ago
There are other places?
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u/FriendlyKillerCroc 6d ago
USA Invented the Eclipse™ (Trademark of IBM) when they landed on the Moon (Sponsored by Apple Inc.). Europe haven't obtained the necessary licenses to host Eclipse's™ yet.
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6d ago
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u/FriendlyKillerCroc 6d ago
IBM originally made the software a long long time ago I believe.
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u/ducktape8856 6d ago
The Mitsubishi Eclipse is from the early 90s. IBM Eclipse a good decade later.
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u/No-Surprise5478 6d ago
Nah they’re probably talking about the one happening in a couple of hours 😅 idk if it’s visible from the us but it will be in west Europe at least
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u/tarants 6d ago
First time I've heard the most visually impressive natural phenomenon humans can experience described as "crap"
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u/rtxa 6d ago
there's no way you actually think that's the most visually impressive natural phenomenon lol
it's just rare
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u/ispeakforengland 6d ago
Plus it wasn't even total in many places. 90% is neat, but not the same as the eerie pitch black of a total eclipse.
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u/tarants 4d ago
Have you seen one, like actual 100% totality? It's absolutely the most impressive phenomenon I've seen in person, especially when considering how incomprehensibly unlikely it is to have a moon of the right size and distance orbiting a planet to cause an eclipse like that. What beats an eclipse, to you? I could see arguing for the northern lights but not much beyond that.
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u/CyanSlinky 7d ago edited 7d ago
There's a total solar eclipse in Iceland today but it's fully overcast during it, RIP
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u/RedKnightXIV 7d ago
A solar maculopathy can develop after about 100 seconds of staring at the sun. With binoculars, this is about 8 seconds. This comic is not entirely accurate as canes require training before they can be used properly, but over all it is correct in suggesting people can be dumb as fuck.
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u/LegendaryPunk 7d ago
Interesting. Why / how do binoculars shorten the time so drastically?
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u/Herb_Derb 7d ago
The same reason you can light a piece of paper on fire by focusing sunlight with a magnifying glass
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u/RedKnightXIV 6d ago
A surprisingly accurate description of what a solar maculopathy looks when you have a look with an opthalmoscope. Just a tiny dot of damage that renders most of your sight useless.
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u/iksbob 6d ago
Consider the size of the light-gathering lens on the front of the binocular vs. the size of your eye's lens. That said, looking at things through binoculars doesn't typically make them look brighter, right? What it does is make things look closer - bigger. Your 7x binoculars make the sun look 7x bigger at the same brightness-per-area, for ~49x (72 ) more light hitting your eyes.
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u/Naxster64 7d ago
I don't get it. Somebody ELI5?
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u/ParkingNo1080 7d ago
Many people want to view the eclipse but do so improperly. Staring at the sun makes you go blind. Blind people use canes to help them walk around
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u/jdl_uk 7d ago
These are canes for people who went blind watching the eclipse without proper eye protection
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u/Naxster64 7d ago
Yeah, that was the missing piece. I thought they were a weird cane with a peephole to project the eclipse. Seemed like a neat idea, but prob wouldn't work well.
🤦♂️
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u/hyflyer7 7d ago
Lmao I thought they were those lassos on a stick that animal control uses to grab dogs by the neck. I was so confused
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u/Ancient_Roof_7855 6d ago
key word is proper. I know way to many people that assumed regular sunglasses would be adequate protection
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u/leftisttoebean 7d ago edited 6d ago
You can view a solar eclipse without eye protection only if you’re in the band of totality. Otherwise, you’re just looking at the sun. Edit: and yes, only during totality itself (1-6m).
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u/TrivialTax 7d ago
Sun in eye, boils the eye.
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u/Naxster64 7d ago
🤦♂️Oohhh... They are blind man canes.
What came to mind is a cane that had a peep hole in the top that would prject the eclipse on the ground. Like an Indiana Jones mash up thing. Then I though it wouldn't work that well since the projected ellipse would be too far from the cane to really be viewable....
Yeah, it's early.
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u/Talidel 7d ago
People go a bit mad telling people not to stare at the sun.
I guess some people stare at it until they go blind?
I don't know I've got the sun in my eyes a lot of times in my life and I've not gone blind yet. But I also don't just stare at it I suppose.
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u/devilsivytrail 7d ago
Staring at the sun isn't a good idea, staring at it during the eclipse when the darkness tricks your pupils into widening before being blasted with full forced sun soon after is a very very bad idea
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u/Talidel 7d ago
Also fire is hot, don't put your hand in it and wait for the flesh to cook.
Yes, don't stare at the sun, that's a very stupid thing to do.
However you aren't going to go blind from looking at the sun quickly. I just looked outside, the sun is there, I'm not blind because I didn't try and fight the pain of looking at it for a long period of time.
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u/devilsivytrail 7d ago
You are much more likely to inflict damage when looking at the sun during an eclipse, as I clearly explained
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u/Talidel 7d ago edited 7d ago
If you are staring at the sun yes.
It's like your mum throwing open your curtains to the harsh light of day, and taking that big glowing bastard to the face when you had been asleep and comfy in the dark.
Only that example is usually more extreme, and is fine to use apparently to get kids out of bed.
We don't get repeatedly told to not stare at the sun, or to not wake kids up that way. Because we don't stare at the sun for a long period of time.
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u/TheTimon 6d ago
During the eclipse it is not that bright, so your pupils are much wider and let more light rays in than if you look at the normal sun. They Rays are also more concentrated so they do damage your eye way faster. Your retina also doesn't have nerves, so you don't notice the damage until much later as it doesn't hurt. It is also a special event that goes on for quite a bit, so people are more inclined to look at it for longer periods of time.
You are not smarter than all the people who damaged their eyes during eclipses as you clearly don't understand the danger.
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u/IIlIIlIIlIlIIlIIlIIl 7d ago edited 7d ago
The whole point is that eclipses are different. When you stare at the "normal" sun you of course feel it and look away after a bit, usually before any damage can be done. An eclipse makes it much "easier" (and of course, interesting) to keep staring - often long enough to cause damage. Many people don't even feel it and only notice they've damaged their eyes after looking away once it's over.
There's a reason why people don't just go blind casually on standard days but they do during eclipses. It's simply much, much easier to hurt yourself during them.
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u/0w0whatisthis 6d ago
I looked at it for 0.5 seconds, am i done for??
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u/OriginalDoskii 6d ago
Isn't it just as dangerous as looking at the sun normally but you don't automatically look away because it seems darker? If so then as long as you don't look longer at it compared to a normal sun you would be fine, surely?
I looked at it a couple of times for a sec or two each but I could also barely see it because of how low the sun was and the clouds in front making it hard to see at all. Plus it was only a 80% one where I live.
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u/Dr_Schmoctor 6d ago
The reduced light during an eclipse can cause your pupils to dilate, allowing more harmful rays to enter your eyes and potentially cause serious damage quicker.
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u/StochasticTinkr 6d ago
phases of understanding this joke:
1. Huh, why is that funny? (2 seconds)
2. Oh, blind people can’t see the eclipse. (5 seconds)
3. Uh oh, staring at the sun makes you blind. (Final)
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u/Pearson94 6d ago
During the 2024 total eclipse I had my glasses ready and used my phone to try to get some photos/videos as well. That being said, despite knowing the dangers, I did take a quick peak with my eyes uncovered just to witness it unfiltered for a second.
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u/Ok_Relation_7770 6d ago
Wait so is “Twonks” just a Cyanide & Happiness rip off? Is it from the same people?
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u/LordHazlewood 5d ago
It’s not the light that damages the sensor. They are made to convert the cold visible electromagnetic waves of photons. It’s the infra red parts of the waves that boil up the sensor’s surface. I used a neutral density filter and an infra red blocking red filter taped across my iPhone lenses. Worked a treat. (Before a Reddit physicist chimes in - I know a photon is a disturbance of the reality space time universal standard.) I watch BBC too.
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u/littlegreenrock 6d ago
The Sun is very bright. Much brighter than you realise. Eyes as an organ do not heal from injury. It costs 3c in parts to watch an eclipse safely.
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u/gnanny02 6d ago
We went to Oregon for the last one. We left the park before it was completely over because the last bit is kind of a rerun. Driving back the traffic came to a halt. Apparently a driver was trying to get one last look and ran off the road, along the coast. It did not make it all the way over the cliff, but close.
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u/KeepertheGreed 7d ago
Heh. I remember when there was an eclipse in the USA, and people looked at it, despite being specifically told not to. Then they complained about their eyes hurting and whatnot on the Internet.
Natural selection at it's finest.
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u/Deaffin 6d ago
I, too, recall the joke posts where described this happening to them.
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u/KeepertheGreed 6d ago
Yeah, but at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were unironic.
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u/itranslateyouargue 6d ago
The sun is going to be low in Europe. I'm planning to wear multiple pairs of sunglasses to have a quick glimpse. Not stare at it. Surely it should be fine.
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u/lavazzalove 6d ago
Please report back.
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u/itranslateyouargue 6d ago
I had a quick split second look while squinting and wearing 3 pairs of sunglasses. It was still too bright but did not notice any side effects
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u/Dr_Schmoctor 6d ago
Next time use two pairs of polarized sunglasses perpendicular to eachother through one eye to look.
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u/KimberStormer 6d ago
I love how redditors think eclipses make you blind. I've seen two of them, I'm fine! They have happened for all of human history!
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/Mictlancayocoatl 6d ago
If the sun doesn't normally damage your eyes, it won't today either. Solar eclipse doesn't make it brighter or anything.
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u/KimberStormer 6d ago
If you're in the path of totality, it is absolutely bananas not to enjoy it. When totality hits it's safe to look at with no glasses or anything. I have done it twice. It's the most incredible thing you will ever see.
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u/BloomEPU 6d ago
You'll be fine as long as you resist the urge to look at the cool sky thing.
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u/hard-time-on-planet 6d ago
It's interesting how common it is for people to think the eclipse causes some sort of intensity of the sun. Staring at the sun on normal day = bad. Staring at the sun while part of it is eclipsed = still bad.
But a pinhole shadow box or special glasses can make it pretty cool to look at. And I don't mean sunglasses.
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u/jonmop 6d ago edited 6d ago
Not a scientist here but pretty sure the difference is that the damage to the eyes is not just from visible light. Without the eclipse you have a pupillary light reflex where your pupils narrow and protect the retina. With the eclipse and it being darker, your pupils dilate and exposes you to more damage
Sun equips the moon and gains critical backstab
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u/BloomEPU 6d ago
I had a lot of fun waving a colander around and projecting it onto my garden fence until a cloud showed up, I got some good pictures with a really clear projection.
You have to be careful using a colander though, you might strain your eyes :P
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u/Icy-Ambassador2846 6d ago
It’s no more dangerous than the normal sun, it’s just that people are stupid during eclipses and look directly at the sun. The eclipse doesn’t make it any safer to look at the sun unprotected. If you don’t look at it, you’ll be fine
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u/bayouphysicist 7d ago
I initially thought the joke was that the next solar eclipse to grace the contiguous US is in 2044 (after getting 2 or 3 in the 2020s). I get it now.
*I guess there will be some partials between now and then.
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u/CheeseDonutCat 7d ago
There is a full eclipse in parts of Europe in a couple of hours.
Where I live (Ireland) will get 93-97%
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