Whether you’re a medieval seer, a professional astronomer, or just need a good reason to step away from that spreadsheet, no one could blame you for disappearing for a few hours to marvel at how our Moon eclipses the Sun so perfectly . But wait a minute, little girl. You didn’t think you’d go out and watch the solar eclipse, did you?

Do not sunbathe the retina

From the time you were a little person you were warned not to look at the Sun. And not for nothing. These light-sensitive cells, which line the back inner wall of each eye, do a great job of converting light energy into nerve signals that we perceive as vision, thanks to the lens and pupil that focus ambient light from the scene.

Sometimes, when exposed to too much light, the chemical reactions of these photoreceptors wear away and you’re left with a mess of colors as the functional cells surrounding them shrug their shoulders and do their best to fill the gap.

Your eyes can usually handle this. What they can’t handle is heat. You know, the kind of heat that comes with lasers and tiny magnifying glasses that direct sunlight into nerve tissue.

And don’t expect these cells to grow back anytime soon. Just like your brain cells, once they’re gone it’s hard for your body to replace them without help.

Here’s what to do instead.

Make a sun watcher to watch the Moon’s silhouette slowly swallow the Sun, occasionally pointing to the sky without looking and shouting, “The big wolf is eating the Sun!” shout. just for effect. Or buy a bad pair of blackout glasses. Make sure these are actually safe and not fake that will kill your eyes. The American Astronomical Society informs you about this.

Not science and driving

Doctors Donald Redelmeier of the University of Toronto and John Staples of the University of British Columbia noticed a spike while reviewing traffic death statistics during the 2017 U.S. solar eclipse. This wasn’t just a small flash. Fatal accidents increased by nearly 30 percent during the eclipse.

“In absolute terms, this means, on average, one additional crash victim every 25 minutes and one additional crash victim every 95 minutes,” Redelmeier and Staples say.

While it’s impossible to say for sure what’s behind this fluctuation — if it actually happened — we can assume that a group of anxious prophets, eager astronomers, and bored office workers are oblivious to the interstates and are jockeying for the perfect spot to go. Sit back and watch the Sun disappear behind the Moon.

So don’t do it. Maybe don’t drive at all.

We’d recommend booking accommodation under the eclipse trail and getting there nice and early, but if you haven’t been yet you’re out of luck. So if you have to drive, stay calm. Or better yet, stay somewhere safe and watch it live with the rest of humanity.

Don’t start any scientific myths

Undoubtedly, these dark moments present a great opportunity to learn something about how the universe works on a deeper level. For example, during a solar eclipse, cloud cover disperses; This should serve as a warning if we want to cool the planet through some kind of solar shield. Einstein’s theory of relativity was first tested on the road, when a solar eclipse darkened the sky enough to measure the background light of stars.

Helium was discovered in 1868 by the glow it emitted in the form of sun rays observed in the middle of the eclipse. Of course, mistakes happen. During another eclipse the following year, American astronomers Charles Augustus Young and William Harkness swore they had discovered a new element, even naming it coronium. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a very, very hot iron.

In 1605, German mathematician Johannes Kepler swore that the corona of light seen around the moon during an eclipse was sunlight refracted by the moon’s atmosphere. Of course, we now know that it doesn’t really exist in any significant way.

We are not saying don’t do science. But if you see something truly groundbreaking, be sure to double-check your totals.

And finally share your surprise

Solar eclipses are an accident of nature; It’s the fortuitous combination of being on Earth at a time when the Moon, which is 400 times smaller than the Sun, is also 400 times closer to us than it is due to the huge thermonuclear ball in the sky. That doesn’t mean we can’t take some time to appreciate the magnificence of the event.

Go out and watch safely. Step away from that spreadsheet and take a photo or five. Tell your boss you’re going to major in astronomy.