Eclipse glasses and sunglasses are both designed to protect your eyes from harmful light, but they are very different in their purpose and capabilities.
Eclipse Glasses
- Purpose: Eclipse glasses are specifically designed to filter out 99.999% of the sun's harmful infrared and ultraviolet radiation, allowing you to safely view a solar eclipse.
- Material: They are made with a special black polymer that filters out the intense light of the sun.
- Safety: It is extremely dangerous to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection, even during a partial eclipse. Sunglasses do not offer adequate protection and can cause severe eye damage.
Sunglasses
- Purpose: Sunglasses are designed to reduce glare and protect your eyes from the sun's everyday radiation.
- Material: They typically use polarized lenses or a darker tint to reduce the amount of light that enters your eyes.
- Safety: While sunglasses offer some protection, they do not filter out enough light to safely view a solar eclipse.
In summary: Eclipse glasses are essential for safe solar eclipse viewing, while sunglasses are for everyday sun protection.
