“On a normal day, your pets don’t try to look at the sun, and therefore don’t damage their eyes. And on this day, they’re not going to do it, either.” Angela Speck, director of astronomy & professor of astrophysics at the University of Missouri, NASA news conference, June 2017
Hello from Prineville, Oregon, where we’re roughing it* with our D&D group right in the #pathoftotality! ? This is the last stop on our crazy month-long road trip, which has taken us all the way from Portland, Oregon to Washington DC and back. We will be heading home tomorrow after the Eclipse. ? I have over 81 gigs of pictures on my phone’s SD card and I’m looking forward to sharing more of our adventures with science and history in the months ahead. Also I amassed a truly concerning amount of postcards, so there will be more of those going out, too.
Kuiper is kindly humoring me by modeling these cool glasses (i.e. I am bribing him with cheese popcorn.) Although they are very dapper on him, he likely won’t need them tomorrow because he won’t be looking up at the sun like the rest of us.
The sun isn’t any more dangerous to look at during the eclipse than at any other time; it’s just that we as humans are more likely to stare at it because it looks cool. Other than studies of lab animals where solar retinitis/retinopathy was artificially induced, I couldn’t find any documentation of wildlife, pets, or any other animals suffering eye damage from staring at the sun, presumably because they have the good sense not to. ? However, if you are planning to view the eclipse tomorrow and you are not a dog or an elk, please do wear the proper eye protection!!!
There are plenty of other reasons to consider keeping your dog inside tomorrow, particularly if you will be in an area with crowds or if there’s any possibility that dumbhecks will be setting off fireworks. Stay safe, friendos!
Have you ever seen an eclipse? What did you think? Are you planning on viewing the #greatamericaneclipse tomorrow? #totality
* Our tent is 40 feet from our friends’ house and there is WiFi
Original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BYCAMF5AxBy/