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  • How the Sun Can Burn Your Retina in Seconds (Video)

    Edited By David Turbert
    Published Oct. 04, 2023

    You may have seen how sunlight can start a fire when focused through a magnifying glass. The sun can do the same thing to your retina.

    Your eye’s lens focuses light on the back of your eye so you can see clearly. But if you look directly at the sun, that focused light can burn your eye. The damage and vision loss can be permanent. 

    In this video, Russell N. Van Gelder, MD, PhD, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, shows what the sun can do to your eye if you view a solar eclipse without eye protection.

    Keep this video on mind when watching upcoming solar eclipses, including the one on April 8, 2024.