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Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) knows a lot of Illinoisans will be looking up on the night of Aug. 21, and she wants them to do it smartly.
With that in mind, Ives released posted some informative tips and cautions for watching the solar eclipse that night, including safety advisories from the Illinois Optometric Association (IOA) detailing how those outside the eclipse’s path of totality can view it without causing retinal damage.
Those watching the eclipse from Southern Illinois will be able to watch it without any eye protection for one or two minutes, as they are in the path or totality and will see the moon completely cover the sun. Ives highlighted an article in Chicago Magazine that lays out the cases for travelling to Carbondale, where the eclipse will have one of the longest durations in the country, or staying in the Chicago area, which will host a range of events around the eclipse.
Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton)
For those who choose to stay in the area, the IOA warns that the only safe way to watch the eclipse is to use solar filters, eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers. Staring at the sun without such equipment could result in solar retinopathy, which can occur without pain and cause permanent damage.
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