DETROIT – Experts anywhere will tell you that staring at the sun is not safe for your eyes -- including during a total solar eclipse, like the one happening next week across North America.
People who plan to watch the moon eclipse the sun on Monday, April 8 are urged to wear special glasses, or to use viewing devices designed for eclipses. The special glasses and viewers use filters and other methods to protect your eyes from the harsh sunlight while watching the phenomenon.
But what about your phone? Is it safe to point your cellphone camera to the sky during an eclipse?
The short answer: No.
Here’s why
The sun isn’t brighter, nor does it emit more dangerous UV rays during an eclipse. Still, the sun is extremely bright, and people are advised not to look directly at it ... pretty much ever.
Just as the sun can cause damage to eyeballs, it can damage cameras, too. The lens in your cellphone camera will actually concentrate the light coming from the sun, which can damage or destroy the camera, experts say.
The same can be said for larger cameras with larger lenses. The lenses can magnify the intensity of the sunlight and damage the equipment. People are especially urged not to look through the viewfinder of a camera while it is pointed directly at the sun, since that concentrated light can seriously damage your eyes.
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How to protect your cameras
Just as you protect your eyes with specially-filtered glasses, camera lenses can be protected with filters, too. It’s important to buy certified filters that meet safety standards, for both your eyes and your cameras.
For a cellphone, there are filters available for purchase that you can hold directly in front of the phone, protecting the lens from the sun.
For larger cameras, a solar filter should be placed on top of your lens for protection. Experts say it’s important to use a properly designated solar filter, rather than using a neutral density filter. Solar filters reportedly protect the camera and the cameraperson’s eyes from invisible infrared and ultraviolet radiation, in addition to dimming the sunlight.
People should only buy eclipse glasses and viewers that meet a certain safety standard known as ISO 12312-2. That figure should be printed somewhere on a certified product.
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Important glasses safety tip
When wearing ISO-compliant solar viewers, it’s important not to look at the sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other device. The solar rays are more concentrated there, and can burn right through the filter and cause serious eye injury.
Where to buy safe eclipse-viewing glasses
The American Astronomical Society makes a significant effort to find and list all reliable sellers who have products that meet the specific ISO standard.
“We do not recommend searching for eclipse glasses on Amazon, eBay, Temu, or any other online marketplace and buying from whichever vendor offers the lowest price,” the AAS writes on its website. You can find the entire list of vendors that meet the requirements the AAS’ website here.
There are some large chains that are selling safe solar viewers and filters, though not all locations have them. The AAS says people can buy glasses and filters in store at the following businesses:
- Warby Parker (available in stores for free starting April 1 while supplies last; limit two per person)
Shoppers are urged to not buy glasses or viewers on those businesses’ websites, however, since “some chains use different suppliers for their websites than they do for their stores,” the AAS writes.
Click here to learn more about safe eclipse glasses and filters from the AAS.