On eclipse viewing

I've seen a bunch of bad takes on eclipse viewing and eye protection in particular and I need to set the record straight.

For starters, partial, even at 0.99 obscuration is nothing like totality. The sun is in fact a deadly lazer and even at that much obscuration it's still bright as fuck, plenty enough to roast retinas. So yes, use <certified> eye protection when viewing a partial eclipse.

Here's the fun part though- even when you're in the path of totality, when it's before or after the few minute window that the obscuration exceeds 1.0 (aka totality), you are viewing a partial eclipse. So yes, eye protection is still needed, and also don't expect the sight to change much (not even visibly at all below 0.7ish). This part is for fun science fair projects like making pinhole projectors and celebrating with fellow eclipsophiles.

It all comes together during totality, a less than 10 minute (usually less than 5) period where the moon completely covers the sun - >1.0 obscuration. That's when the spectacle is. If you're not seeing this part it's not much more than a "haha sun is moon shaped" thing.

What's been really irritating me is when people who have obviously never seen totality say you shouldn't take off your glasses under any circumstances. This is only true during partial (and you are looking at the sun). The corollary to the sun is bright as fuck is when you dial down levels enough that you can safely view it, absolutely nothing else is visible. During totality, absolutely nothing will be visible when using eclipse glasses. Doing so will cause you to miss the entire reason you came to the path of totality in the first place.

So yes, you absolutely should, and can safely, remove the glasses during totality. However, when totality ends, put them back on right away- as soon as you notice a bright speck growing.

On another note- we've calculated eclipses almost down to the minute (for a given lat/long, may be off a bit depending on your distance), and we all have networked time synced clocks in our pockets so we all know how long we have before totality. Don't miss it because you went to the bathroom after an hour of viewing the partial thinking not much has changed. As stated above, the partial is downright boring compared to totality - you probably wouldn't even notice it without knowing beforehand.

Total solar eclipses are spectacular, magnificent sights. Although they require some degree of preparation for safety and planning, don't miss them if you can help it.