19 August, 2017
"I've been doing a lot of research lately and... a lot of people out there are saying as far as your domestic pets like your dogs and your cats, some things to watch out for: a lot times they think it's night so they go to sleep, they may calm down", Keyes said. After looking at the sun, turn away and remove your filter - do not remove it while looking at the sun.
"Dog and cat eyes are much more sensitive".
That's because during an eclipse the partially blocked sun plays a trick on our eyes. As it darkens outside, our pupils naturally enlarge, allowing more UV rays in.
"During an eclipse, it's the same as if you actually look directly at the sun when there's not an eclipse", said Dr.
It's called solar retinopathy or solar burn.
They recommend you not look in the direction of the eclipse, they also stress that you don't wear the protective glasses while driving as this can be risky as well.
"The light rays tend to focus directly on the center of our vision and that's the most crucial part of our retina", she says.
A retina that's been burned has visible holes. However, welding helmets are, since the welding arc flash can cause the same damage to the retina without protection. A black dot. So whenever an individual is trying to look at a letter or word when they are reading, that's the damaged portion of the retina that's trying to look at that.
That's why protecting our eyes is so important.
Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. They can see in dim light, where we can't. Do the same before taking them off.
Keyes said you may want to talk with your veterinarian for any other safety tips for your pet during the day of the total solar eclipse including whether or not your pet should wear protective eyewear. "It blocks everything else", says Dr Curnyn.
The only time it's safe to look at the eclipse is if you are in a place that's in the sun's direct path - Florida is not - and then only for the brief moments when the sun is totally eclipsed. That period will last about 2 minutes, 40 seconds, but won't occur here in the Chicago area.