TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - All of North America will be able to see a solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, but doctors are worried about some safety concerns.
A local optometrist says it takes less than 60 seconds to cause permanent damage to your eyesight.
A big concern is solar retinopathy, which is where you burn your eyes.
Experts say although the moon will block a lot of the visible light during the eclipse, you can still damage your eye sight if you don't wear the correct glasses.
That's because the radiation coming from the sun doesn't go away.
Dr. Kerry Reeves, an optometrist, said: "Our biggest concern is the fact that you can't tell if you're getting damage, so you're sitting there looking at it, thinking everything's okay. Solar retinopathy doesn't cause pain. It doesn't cause discomfort usually, and the symptoms don't even show up until the next day."
Doctors say any damage to your retina is permanent and the danger is even higher with children.
The younger the child, the more susceptible the child is to radiation damage.
