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Prevent Blindness is preparing the public to safely experience the total solar eclipse that will take place on April 8th, 2024 with the Prevent Blindness Eclipse + Your Eyes program. The goal of the recently launched program is to educate the public on solar eclipses and raise awareness about the dangers of looking directly at the sun during an eclipse. The Eclipse + Your Eyes Program is made possible by the generous support of Silver Sponsors MyEyeDr. and National Vision, and Bronze Sponsors Amgen, UnitedHealthcare and VSP Vision.
The eclipse on April 8th will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2045. Its path of totality in North America will begin in Mexico and pass through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine before ending in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. However, a partial eclipse will be visible throughout the continental United States.
“This April, everyone in the contiguous United States will be able to view this spectacular astral event – one not to be seen again for more than 20 years. Prevent Blindness wants to ensure all eyes are protected while doing so,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “We encourage everyone to visit our website where they can purchase Prevent Blindness-branded eclipse glasses with proceeds supporting our sight-saving mission, and also access a number of other informative eclipse resources.”
Failure to protect the eyes while looking at the sun during a solar eclipse can result in “eclipse blindness” or solar retinopathy, causing damage or destruction to the cells in the retina. As part of its Eclipse + Your Eyes program, Prevent Blindness is offering solar eclipse glasses for purchase that are manufactured to meet the safety guidelines of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 12312-2), with proceeds going to support the organization’s sight-saving programs.
Prevent Blindness is offering free fact sheets, available in English and Spanish, a free eNewsletter, and other online resources, including:
• An educational video on safe eclipse viewing that features former NASA astronaut Dr. Mike Massimino, retired NASA physicist Dr. Rafat Ansari, and medical retinal specialist Dr. Amy Babiuch from Cleveland Clinic.
• Tips for safely photographing a solar eclipse from astrophotographer and visual storyteller Jon Carmichael.
• Solar eclipse viewing party toolkits as well as children’s eclipse toolkits for families and teachers.
• For educators and parents, the “Preschool and Early Childhood Solar Eclipse Lesson and Book.”
For more information on the Prevent Blindness Eclipse + Your Eyes program, tips for good eye safety practices and where to purchase safety eyewear, visit https://preventblindness.org/solar-eclipse-and-your-eyes/, or contact [email protected].
