The fundamental must for safe viewing of Monday's total solar eclipse is proper eye protection, with the exception of the two and a half minutes of totality. Provided here is some guidance on how to maintain eye safety and maximize the eclipse-viewing experience.
Basic equipment needed for eclipse
For those who don't already have eclipse glasses, the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau will be selling them at its 700 E. Capitol Ave. office until the day of the eclipse, CVB Communications Manager Katherine Reed said.
On Sunday and Monday, glasses will be sold at the CVB information booth at the Eclipse Village across the Missouri River and on the State Capitol lawn. The glasses will be available as long as supplies last.
Make sure eclipse glasses are safe, from wherever they come. The American Astronomical Society has published a list of reputable sellers at eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters. These approved products should meet the safety regulations required to look into direct sunlight, meaning they must meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard.
Even eclipse glasses from a trusted source are not safe if they're damaged. The warning on the inside of each pair of the viewing glasses reads that before each use, a person should check the front and back of each lens for damage "such as scratches, pinholes or separation from frame."
If you come across a pair of damaged viewing glasses, destroy them, rather than risk someone else using them by accident; the warning label recommends cutting a damaged pair into small pieces before throwing them away.
As an alternative to viewing glasses, the American Astronomical Society has also provided directions and precautions for pinhole projection, optical projection and sun funnel eclipse-viewing options at eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/projection.
What are symptoms for retinal burns?
Elizabeth Fagiolo, family nurse practitioner with SSM Health Urgent Care, relayed answers to these questions through Jessica Royston, SSM marketing and communications manager.
Fagiolo said eye damage from looking at the sun without adequate protection can happen without feeling any immediate pain. Ultraviolet radiation in sunlight destroys the rod and cone cells of the retina.
After a few hours pass, symptoms of watery or sore eyes, discomfort caused by bright lights, difficulty discerning shapes (especially of detailed objects), distorted vision or a blind spot in the center of the field of vision may appear.
At this point, medical attention from an ophthalmologist should be sought immediately. There is no single treatment for solar retinopathy, "other than time."
"The ophthalmologist will be able to help ease the discomfort of symptoms, as well as assess the amount of damage," Fagiolo said, but whatever amount of eyesight is regained in the long term depends primarily on the amount of initial damage done and how long it takes for swelling to lessen.
As a few more eclipse safety reminders, public relations director Lindsay Huhman from Capital Region Medical Center suggests:
Always supervise children using solar filters. Regular sunglasses and welder glasses are not sufficient protection.
Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After looking at the sun, turn away and remove your filter - do not remove it while looking at the sun.
Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical device.
Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewer; the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.
Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device. Note that solar filters must be attached to the front of any telescope, binoculars, camera lens or other optics.
Photographing the eclipse
National Geographic has some advice from veteran eclipse photographers for those who have professional-level gear at nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/how-to-photograph-solar-eclipse/.
For those with smartphone cameras, NASA and U.S. Cellular have put out their own guidance. Both advise a smartphone camera will be good for taking wide-angle shots of the moon's darkened disk with the solar corona around it during totality, but zooming in will create a pixelated image that will not show much detail.
To get higher photo quality in low-light conditions, consider downloading an app ahead of time, like Camera+ or NightCap Pro for Apple devices or Night Camera for Android.
There's some wireless etiquette to follow during the eclipse, too. Don't spoil the moment for everyone else around by using a flash; it will ruin the adaptation of people's eyes to the darkness.
Drones can capture the advancing and retreating shadow of the moon, but U.S. Cellular said they're not good for capturing the eclipse itself on video. Regardless, don't block the view of crowds by flying a drone between them and the eclipse.
How to find a good viewing location
"Stay where you are - every place will have a great view!" said Bethany Stone, University of Missouri professor of biological sciences. "My only suggestion is to not stand under a street light."
Jefferson City High School science teacher Rick Hirst's guidance is to pick a spot not blocked by trees or anything else - just a "nice good area where (the eclipse) can be overhead."
"The best advice is to find a safe location, arrive there early, stay put and leave late," Matt Hiebert said in a story from "The Pew Charitable Trusts." Hiebert was described as a Missouri Department of Transportation spokesman who is heading an eclipse task force of transportation officials.
Though traffic congestion is a concern on the day of the eclipse, the Missouri Department of Conservation has previously noted its conservation areas inside the eclipse's path of totality will be open.
The Firley YMCA's outdoor pool will be shut down 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday because of low visibility during the eclipse.