Solar Eclipse 2017: What You Need To Know

CAN I LOOK AT THE SUN WITH MY NAKED EYES JUST BEFORE AND AFTER TOTALITY? IT’S MOSTLY BLOCKED THEN.

No, you really need to wait. If you look at direct sunlight long enough, you can do irreversible damage to your eyes. Here’s a terrifying informative article from NASA about what could happen if you aren’t properly protected. And even a little bit of light peeking out from behind the Moon is enough to hurt. “Until that point, the Moon completely blocks out the Sun, just a little bit of sunlight is still dangerous to your eyes,” says Petro.

IS THERE ANY TIME I CAN LOOK AT THIS THING WITH MY OWN TWO EYES?

Yes! Once the Sun is completely covered, those in the path of totality can take off their solar filter glasses and view the corona directly. But remember, totality is not going to last very long, so make sure to snap all your pics quickly and just let the view soak in.

WILL IT DAMAGE MY SMARTPHONE CAMERA IF I TAKE A PICTURE OF THE ECLIPSE BEFORE AND AFTER TOTALITY?

That’s up for debate, but NASA says it’s possible the lens is too small to be damaged by the Sun. If you’re really worried, you can put your solar filter glasses over the lens and take a picture of the eclipse that way. And during totality, you won’t need any filter.

Smartphones aren’t going to be the best way to get a picture because they don’t zoom in very far; the Sun will look pretty small and grainy. You’re going to want to bust out the DSLR camera for this event if you have one. We’ll have some tips on how to take a good eclipse photo later this week.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD ECLIPSE-VIEWING PLAYLISTS?

Anything but “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

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