Eclipse radiation: the myth, the truth

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — With all the excitement and all the talk about the solar eclipse taking place on April 8, there also is some bad information floating out there. One of the biggies has to do with radiation and the eclipse.

Yes, there is radiation that comes as a result of the event, but when it comes to dangerous radiation that puts your vision or health, generally, at risk, that’s a hard “no.”

What time will the eclipse happen in DC, Maryland, Virginia?

So, what’s the deal with the radiation?

NASA says that the radiation that’s emitted is electromagnetic only. It’s possible that a greenish tint will come with it. The space agency points out that scientists began studying the radiation centuries ago.

The radiation is a million times fainter that the light the Sun, itself, puts off. NASA says there isn’t anything in the light that could cross more than 93 million miles of space, punch through the Earth’s dense atmosphere, and cause someone to go blind.

How much of the eclipse will I see? Here’s what to expect in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

That’s not to say that your eyes can’t be hurt by looking at a solar eclipse. That’s why we, and the experts when it comes to these things, keep reminding people to protect your eyes if you’re planning to view the eclipse.

Here’s what NASA has to say about it: “…if you watched the sun before totality, you will catch a glimpse of the brilliant solar surface and this can cause retinal damage, though the typical human instinctual response is to quickly look away before any severe damage has actually occurred.”

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