Jay-B Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 I was wondering if it was possible to see a solar flare during the total solar eclipse with the naked eye if a flare occurs during totality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamateur 1953 Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) I actually saw one during the 1979 solar eclipse. I was in Goldendale Washington USA. Since my pupils were fully dilated in the darkness and we were approaching Solar Maximum I realised how dangerous it was and quickly averted my eyes before my retinas sustained damage. I was informed and lucky. Use extreme care!! Edit: For those that don’t know it is the ultraviolet that does the most damage and you may not know until it is too late. Please be careful. Ya only are issued one pair of eyes… Edited December 28, 2023 by hamateur 1953 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tniickck Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 3 hours ago, Jay-B said: I was wondering if it was possible to see a solar flare during the total solar eclipse with the naked eye if a flare occurs during totality? Yes, but only once with one eye and the second time with the other one😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamateur 1953 Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) Sick joke there @tniickck ha ha Edit: watching the shadow bands racing along the ground will be a memory I will never forget! Hopefully you protect your eyes properly so ya may see them twice in your lifetime! Way cool stuff!! Edited December 28, 2023 by hamateur 1953 Memory evoked. Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tniickck Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 i have seen a 25 Oct 2022 one with special glasses. I came out of the school, was walking and saw a woman who was giving everyone a pair of goggles to look at it. a stunning thing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-B Posted December 28, 2023 Author Share Posted December 28, 2023 I ordered 20 pairs of solar glasses for the eclipse. I was under the impression that during totality it's safe to look at the sun during those 2+or- minutes. Does a solar flare make it unsafe during totality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tniickck Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 2 hours ago, Jay-B said: Does a solar flare make it unsafe during totality? It does not. X-ray does not pass the Earth atmosphere and does not get into your eye. I think it is impossible to see CME with naked eye unless it is really powerful (to blow away all the corona visible on the limb like July 2012 one) and is on the limb to see it. Additionally, solar flares and following CME last much more than 2 minutes. In short, it's almost impossible for such an event to happen in this 2 minutes of totality. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamateur 1953 Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) @tniickckmay indeed be correct. He most certainly is correct in the shorter wavelengths of X radiation. The very rare limb event that I personally witnessed was of course rich in both UV and X radiation. It may very well not have been of sufficient duration to permanently damage my retinas. However I know a woman that personally was very sorry she had looked at the sun with unprotected eyes near totality. This left her with two permanent crescents to impede her vision from the 1968 east coast eclipse. Mike/Hagrid . When remembering this, it was really an involuntary reaction, somewhat akin to ducking when your wife throws a heavy object at you… haha 6 hours ago, tniickck said: It does not. X-ray does not pass the Earth atmosphere and does not get into your eye. I think it is impossible to see CME with naked eye unless it is really powerful (to blow away all the corona visible on the limb like July 2012 one) and is on the limb to see it. Additionally, solar flares and following CME last much more than 2 minutes. In short, it's almost impossible for such an event to happen in this 2 minutes of totality. Its probably not worth the risk to me but, hey they’re your eyes. Anyway let’s wait for a real eye doc to weigh in here anyway. I’m unqualified in that department. Btw there is a youtube of that event and CBS news actually was onsite at the time of which I was completely unaware. If I can find it again I think they actually caught me in the silly crowd. Haha. Later. Mike/Hagrid Edited December 28, 2023 by hamateur 1953 Needed my eyeglasses 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philalethes Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 (edited) 20 hours ago, Jay-B said: I ordered 20 pairs of solar glasses for the eclipse. I was under the impression that during totality it's safe to look at the sun during those 2+or- minutes. Does a solar flare make it unsafe during totality? As long as it really is during totality it is safe, even if there's flaring (the edge case might be if there's an extremely strong flare right at the limb, outside of the disc so that it's visible, in which case I guess I'd stop looking just to be sure); but as @hamateur 1953 warns, if you're looking at it before totality begins or after it ends, you can very easily end up with the visible crescent on either side permanently burned into your retina, so you should exercise great caution if you plan on looking at it that way during totality. Edited December 29, 2023 by Philalethes edge case 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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