Experts urge caution while viewing April eclipse

Maine (WABI) - It may be obvious to some people, but experts are warning those viewing the eclipse to not look at the sun.

Even if it looks like the eclipse may be in totality, a sliver of sunlight is all it can take to cause severe and sometimes permanent damage to an eye’s retina.

Specialized glasses made for the eclipse are critical.

They’re sold online and in various stores, but even with those experts recommend not looking for more than a minute or so at a time.

Another important reminder: Almost all sunglasses, polarized or not, do not offer any protection while staring directly at the sun.

”It can basically cook your retina. So, if you are looking at the sun, the light is going to go right through your cornea, through your lens, and hit the back of your eye, and that’s where your retina is. Within seconds even, you can essentially get a sunburn on your retina. If it’s severe then you can basically kind of cook it and you’ll get scarring, and it can permanently damage your vision,” explained Ian Meng, Ph.D., Professor at University of New England, Department of Biomedical Sciences.

For parents, Meng says children most frequently have their vision damaged from looking at the sun during an eclipse.

He says that even if they have specialized glasses to make sure they understand how to use them properly.