Seriously, Never Look at the Sun
I’m surprised I have to write this, but let’s start. If you are on the west coast or in some kind of terrible environment – I really like our new orange sky – then you probably noticed that all the particles in the air (or whatever happens in your area) can cause the sun looks different. Maybe it’s really red, like your favorite Star Wars moment. It might even be easier to look at.
Don’t look at this. Don’t look at the sun .
That’s the problem. Many people mistakenly believe that the brightness of the sun causes all kinds of unpleasant and irreparable damage to your eyes if you look at them. (“Solar retinopathy” for the curious, which I wouldn’t add to my Google image search if I wanted to have a good day.)
They are wrong. If anything, the unforgiving brightness of the sun – a gift from nature that should stop most people from enduring anything other than a quick glance at it – has nothing to do with an equation. It is UV light that causes eye damage, and here’s the fun part: UV light doesn’t care if it’s cloudy, smoky, filled with fire, or whatever. Looking directly into the sun, even if your eyes tolerate the brightness, is a bad idea.
As Global News reported back in 2018:
While smoke particles in the air can reduce the brightness of the sun, experts say ultraviolet light does not change.
“It can affect the front and back of the eye,” said optometrist Navroza Valgi. “On the front surface, it can cause damage to the white of the eye and irregularities. On the back of the eye, it can cause macular degeneration and can also lead to cataracts. “
Need more proof? This is the fucking sun. You wouldn’t try to look at him on a cloudy day or look at him during an eclipse – because you are smart – so there is no reason why you should try to look at him any other time without proper protection .
It doesn’t matter if your street looks like Dune; do not look at the sun, and especially do not look at the sun through the camera’s viewfinder if you are trying to get the perfect picture of your dire conditions. Leave the sun alone.