Can you stare at the moon

This is all very strange. Moonlight, remember, is no more exotic than sunlight reflected from the dusty surface of the moon. The only difference is intensity: Moonlight is about , times fainter than direct sunlight. So what do we make of it all? The answer lies in the eye of the beholder. The human retina is responsible. Right : A schematic diagram of the human eye. The retina is like an organic digital camera with two kinds of pixels: rods and cones.

Cones allow us to see colors red roses and fine details words in a book , but they only work in bright light. After sunset, the rods take over. Rods are marvelously sensitive times more so than cones and are responsible for our night vision. According to some reports, rods can detect as little as a single photon of light! There's only one drawback: rods are colorblind. Roses at night thus appear gray. If rods are so sensitive, why can't we use them to read by moonlight? The problem is, rods are almost completely absent from a central patch of retina called the fovea, which the brain uses for reading.

The fovea is densely packed with cones, so we can read during the day. At night, however, the fovea becomes a blind spot. The remaining peripheral vision isn't sharp enough to make out individual letters and words. Finally, we come to the blueshift. Consider this passage from a issue of the Journal of Vision :. Therefore if the cones are not being stimulated how do we perceive the blueness? Khan and Sumanta N. Pattanaik, University of Central Florida. Right : A rod-cone interaction model accounting for the moonlight blueshift.

Credit: Saad M. Pattanaik, University of Central Florida [ More ]. The authors of the study went on to propose a bio-electrical explanation--that signals from rods can spill into adjacent blue-sensitive cones under conditions of full-moon illumination see the diagram, right. Do not use if there are any scratches or damage to the sheet.

Other ways : Other ways to safely watch a solar eclipse is on television or at the planetarium. Be careful about how you watch a solar eclipse. It is not recommended to view it in the following ways:. Smartphone : Watching a solar eclipse on your smartphone camera can put you at risk of accidentally looking at the sun when trying to line up your camera. It could possibly also damage your smartphone camera. Camera viewfinder : Never look at a solar eclipse through the optical viewfinder of a camera.

It can damage your eyes in the same way as looking directly at it. Skip to content. Your Sight. Solar Eclipse — April 8, A solar eclipse will occur across most of the United States on April 8, , including a small band of total solar eclipse stretching from east to west across much of the continent. Protect your eyes! What is a solar eclipse?

How can your eyes be affected by a solar eclipse? What are the eye symptoms that can occur from looking at a solar eclipse without proper eye protection? Loss of central vision solar retinopathy Distorted vision Altered color vision If you notice symptoms after viewing a solar eclipse, seek treatment from an eye care professional. How to safely watch a solar eclipse The only time that you can safely view a solar eclipse without special equipment is during a total solar eclipse.

Bottom line: The whole Earth sees the same moon phase on the same day, but the Northern and Southern Hemispheres see the moon oriented differently with respect to the horizon. The moon itself shifts its orientation with respect to your horizon as it moves across your sky. While only 18 percent of people with significant visual impairments are actually totally blind, most can at least perceive light.

In other words, although we cannot see colors, shapes or people, we can still tell the difference between light and dark. You are probably wondering what light perception is exactly.

Our sensitive eyes begin to burn, and we instinctively blink and look away to avoid discomfort. Stopping down a telescope to about 2 or 3 inches in aperture will make moonlight more manageable. Fact: Although using a computer will not harm your eyes, staring at a computer screen all day will contribute to eyestrain or tired eyes.

Adjust lighting so that it does not create a glare or harsh reflection on the screen. Micro New Moon: Mar Super Full Moon: Apr 7. Super New Moon: Oct