{"id":598652,"date":"2024-03-21T15:56:59","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T19:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=598652"},"modified":"2025-12-01T13:45:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T18:45:32","slug":"science-of-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-598652","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/science-of-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-598652\/","title":{"rendered":"The science behind solar eclipse glasses"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>An optics professor explains how eclipse glasses protect your eyes from the sun\u2019s light during an eclipse.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"side-right\">\n<h3>Where can I get glasses for the solar eclipse?<\/h3>\n<p>The University of Rochester is providing eclipse glasses so the entire University community can safely enjoy the eclipse in style.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/eclipse\/glasses\/#distribution\">Get paired up &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Properly protecting your eyes during a solar eclipse is crucial for avoiding long-term damage to your vision. In anticipation of the total solar eclipse happening in Rochester, New York, on April 8, 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hajim.rochester.edu\/optics\/people\/faculty\/zavislan_james\/index.html\">James Zavislan<\/a>, a professor of optics and of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hajim.rochester.edu\/bme\/\">biomedical engineering<\/a> and an associate professor of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/eye-institute.aspx\">ophthalmology<\/a> at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\">University of Rochester<\/a>, wants everyone to understand the risks involved and how to have a safe, enjoyable eclipse experience.<\/p>\n<p>Zavislan, who studied and currently teaches at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hajim.rochester.edu\/optics\/index.html\">Institute of Optics<\/a>, has devoted his career to studying light, and is an expert in optical system analysis and optical engineering. He explains how the sun\u2019s light affects your eyes, how solar eclipse glasses prevent damage, and why you probably shouldn\u2019t dust off your old eclipse glasses to reuse this April. Along the way, he offers helpful tips to have a memorable viewing experience.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Q&amp;A with James Zavislan<\/strong><\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 50%;\" \/>\n<h4><strong>How do solar eclipse glasses work?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> Eclipse glasses attenuate, or filter out, the portions of the solar spectrum that could injure the eye. Different spectra of light from the sun have different effects on the eye, and the three most important to block in this case are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ultraviolet<\/strong>\u2014wavelengths we normally can\u2019t see that get us sunburned if we spend too much time outside. This light puts our cornea at risk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Visible<\/strong>\u2014in particular the wavelengths that are closer to the blue portion of the spectrum.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Infrared<\/strong>\u2014wavelengths that you don\u2019t see, but we normally associate with heat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Eclipse glasses are made of mylar, a polyester film. Historically, that\u2019s what photographic film was made from at Eastman Kodak right here in Rochester, and it\u2019s picked because it is very inexpensive to make and very strong. The outside portion is a reflective metal film, usually aluminum, that\u2019s on a partially absorbing substrate that provides a little bit of additional attenuation as well in case the metallic film gets slightly scratched.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_598772\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-598772\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-598772 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science.jpg\" alt=\"Two pairs of University of Rochester-branded solar eclipse glasses laid flat on a piece of paper that says &quot;international standard&quot; and &quot;ISO 12312-2&quot; at the top.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-1680x1120.jpg 1680w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-1250x833.jpg 1250w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-660x440.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-598772\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>SUN SCREENING:<\/strong>\u00a0Make sure your solar eclipse glasses meet the standards set by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iso.org\/home.html\">International Organization for Standardization<\/a>, according to optics professor James Zavislan. Look for ISO number 12312-2 stamped on the inside of them. (University of Rochester photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4><strong>why do we need eclipse glasses? <\/strong><strong>what happens if you look at a solar eclipse for too long?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> In general, when we look up at the sun, it\u2019s uncomfortably bright, so our pupils constrict, and at some point, we just look away. During an eclipse, less and less of the sun is exposed, so our instinct to look away is diminished; however, the portions that are still visible have the same brightness as if the moon was not blocking it.<\/p>\n<p>There are two things you worry about from looking at the sun long-term: photochemical changes and heat.<\/p>\n<p>As you stare at the sun, you\u2019ll be putting the most acute part of your vision, called the macula, at risk. While looking at things of interest, you\u2019ll get a cumulative dose of blue light, which causes a photochemical injury, putting chemicals in your eye that can essentially be toxic, and then you\u2019re adding to it a thermal background. Those two together, especially the photochemical effect, can lead to a degradation of your retina.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>How do I know if my solar eclipse glasses are good enough?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> You want to make sure it meets the standards set by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iso.org\/home.html\">International Organization for Standardization<\/a>, or ISO. If you look on the inside of the glasses, you should see an ISO number 12312-2 stamped there.<\/p>\n<p>The final thing that I encourage everybody to do prior to using the glasses is to hold them up to a very bright light and make sure there are not any pinhole defects. These glasses can get damaged. It\u2019s really not a good idea to pull those glasses from 2017 out of the drawer and use them again. They may have gotten scratched or damaged or otherwise have aged. Go with a fresh pair of solar eclipse glasses from reputable source.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_598782\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-598782\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-598782 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066.jpg\" alt=\"Graduate student stands at a computer analyzing data about solar eclipse sunglasses that are placed nearby.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066-1680x1120.jpg 1680w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066-1250x833.jpg 1250w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-2024-03-05_eclipse_glasses_testing_0066-660x440.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-598782\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>ECLIPSE ENLIGHTENMENT:<\/strong> Optical engineering PhD student J. Lyse Mugen tests the transmittance of the material used in solar eclipse glasses. The April 8 eclipse is a unique opportunity to show Rochester students \u201chow one would certify these glasses and make sure we\u2019re meeting the standard,\u201d says Zavislan. (University of Rochester photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4><strong>Can I take off my glasses during the eclipse?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> You should only take them off during totality, when no white portion of the sun is visible. It may be tempting just before or after when there will be bright spots on the edge\u2014they\u2019re sometimes called diamonds or Baily\u2019s beads\u2014but keep your glasses on until you see no portion of the sun.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Can I use my ISO-certified sunglasses to view an eclipse?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> Sunglasses are not intended to protect your eye from direct viewing. They could be ISO-certified under a different standard. You only want to look at the sun during an eclipse with glasses that have the ISO 12312-2 standard stamped on them.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_598792\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-598792\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-598792 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02.jpg\" alt=\"Close up of a hand holding an attenuating device near eclipse glasses material for testing purposes.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02-1680x1120.jpg 1680w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02-1250x833.jpg 1250w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/inline-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-02-660x440.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-598792\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS:<\/strong> A sample of the material used in eclipse glasses being tested with a tunable light source. (University of Rochester photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4><strong>Can I use polarized glasses for solar eclipse viewing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> No. Glasses or sunglasses, whether polarized or not, do not sufficiently attenuate the sun\u2019s light for direct viewing during a solar eclipse when any bright part of the sun is visible.<\/p>\n<p>If you are in a region that will experience totality, the sun\u2019s corona will be visible during totality. The light from the corona is polarized and its appearance will change if you view it with polarized sun glasses and tip your head. However, you must remove your sunglasses and resume using ISO-12312-2-rated eclipse glasses immediately at the end of totality.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Can I use my phone to take a photo of the eclipse?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> You should not point your cellphone camera up to the sun. First, you\u2019re likely not going to get a good picture. Second, you\u2019re going to be likely in a situation where you\u2019re going to be encouraged to kind of look around your glasses as you\u2019re trying to see your cell phone picture. Not good. And then the third thing is that you\u2019re essentially baking your sensor.<\/p>\n<p>The one time where I would encourage you to try and grab one cell phone picture is during totality. If you have a cell phone camera that can do some level of optical zoom\u2014I wouldn\u2019t bother with digital zoom\u2014you can just take a quick picture. But my strong advice is to not spend a lot of time trying to get a cell phone picture for what should be a wonderful visual memory during totality.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>How did the University of Rochester ensure its eclipse glasses are safe?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> We performed additional testing at the Institute of Optics. One of the things we do within our training program is to give the students an opportunity to test optics. This is a priceless chance with the eclipse coming up to show how one would certify these glasses and make sure we\u2019re meeting the standard. It\u2019s also a great chance to illustrate to our students what\u2019s possible using routine equipment that we have at the Institute of Optics.<\/p>\n<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }<\/style>\n<div class=\"embed-container\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V_UHKBCH1bQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h4><strong>Is there anything special about the April 8 eclipse that I should look for?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Zavislan:<\/strong> When the sun\u2019s main disk is blocked, there will be streamers of the sun\u2019s corona flowing outward. We\u2019re fortunate that we\u2019re entering what\u2019s called a solar maximum\u2014the sun is nearing its absolute peak of activity\u2014and because of that, there are energetic expulsions almost every week. If we\u2019re really fortunate, one of those coronal mass ejections would be happening right around the time of the eclipse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An optics professor explains how eclipse glasses protect your eyes from the sun\u2019s light during an eclipse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1242,"featured_media":598922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[42502,18632,18652],"class_list":["post-598652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sci-tech","tag-eclipse","tag-hajim-school-of-engineering-and-applied-sciences","tag-institute-of-optics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The science behind solar eclipse glasses<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An optics professor explains how solar eclipse glasses protect your eyes from the sun\u2019s light during an eclipse.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/science-of-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-598652\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The science behind solar eclipse glasses\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An optics professor explains how solar eclipse glasses protect your eyes from the sun\u2019s light during an eclipse.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/science-of-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-598652\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-03-21T19:56:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-01T18:45:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/fea-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-04-1200x630.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Luke Auburn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Luke Auburn\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/science-of-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-598652\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/science-of-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-598652\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Luke Auburn\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/#\/schema\/person\/e928dc2863b53a89ece6d40c7992a4e1\"},\"headline\":\"The science behind solar eclipse glasses\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-03-21T19:56:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-01T18:45:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/science-of-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-598652\/\"},\"wordCount\":1394,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/science-of-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-598652\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/fea-solar-eclipse-glasses-safety-science-04.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Eclipse\",\"Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences\",\"Institute of Optics\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science &amp; 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