Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Man Who Burned Retina During 1962 Eclipse Warns Others of Viewing Dangers
nbc ^

Posted on 08/17/2017 1:39:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Lou Tomososki was a high school teen in 1962 when his science teacher told the class about a solar eclipse that was going to take place that afternoon, NBC affiliate KGW reported.

Tomososki and a friend viewed the partial eclipse outside Marshall High School in Portland.

"The sun at that time, at 3:30 p.m., was in the one o’clock position," said Tomososki. "I said to Roger, 'If you stare at it long enough the brightness goes away.'"

By that night, both Tomososki and Roger were having vision problems. He said the vision problems never got any worse — but they also never got any better. A doctor later him that he had burned his retina during the eclipse.

Now, at 70, he says he and his friend both still have vision problems to this day.

"You know how the news people blur a license plate out," said Tomososki. "That’s what I have on the right eye, about the size of a pea, I can’t see around that."

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcbayarea.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science
KEYWORDS: burned; dangers; eclipse; eclipsedanger; retina; solareclipse; vision
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last

1 posted on 08/17/2017 1:39:32 PM PDT by BenLurkin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin
I'm still trying to figure out:

"The sun at that time, at 3:30 p.m., was in the one o’clock position,"

2 posted on 08/17/2017 1:43:09 PM PDT by norcal joe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

Welders mask


3 posted on 08/17/2017 1:43:26 PM PDT by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

they can probably fix that now


4 posted on 08/17/2017 1:43:53 PM PDT by ichabod1 (Smoke does not mean fire when someone threw a smoke grenade.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

I keep reminding my brain dead 19 year old step son not to look at the eclipse. My money says he will anyway...


5 posted on 08/17/2017 1:44:06 PM PDT by shotgun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

I remember that eclipse. My cousin’s and my family drove down the Jersey shore for hours to some beach to watch the eclipse. We knew about the dangers and viewed the sun through shards of broken beer bottle glass we found on the beach. At that time most beer bottles were amber in color and apparently the tint was sufficient to filter out the harmful rays. We never had any eye problems.


6 posted on 08/17/2017 1:45:33 PM PDT by 4Runner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shotgun
I keep reminding my brain dead 19 year old step son not to look at the eclipse. My money says he will anyway...

Tell him that the sunlight has lots of good vitamins and fiber, like broccoli.

7 posted on 08/17/2017 1:45:52 PM PDT by fwdude (Democrats have not been this angry since Republicans freed the slaves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Vaquero

Back in the 80’s when I was pipefitter welder, we were told by the contractor not to use our welding hoods to watch the eclipse and if caught expect to be terminated immediately.


8 posted on 08/17/2017 1:46:33 PM PDT by shotgun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

I burned a tiny hole in my retina by staring at a magnifying glass while burning holes in paper.

A Dr. later told me that it hardly affects my vision at all. If I stare right at a star it is blank. Otherwise I would never notice it.


9 posted on 08/17/2017 1:47:11 PM PDT by yarddog (Romans 8:38-39, For I am persuaded.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

Opthamologists are going to make a KILLING as a result of all the dumbasses that watch this eclipse.


10 posted on 08/17/2017 1:47:32 PM PDT by ObozoMustGo2012 ("Be quiet... you are #fakenews!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: norcal joe

I took it mean where he thought the sun was on the sky.....at his one o’clock position


11 posted on 08/17/2017 1:49:10 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: shotgun

And the reason?

An welding arc can burn your retina better than the suns rays


12 posted on 08/17/2017 1:50:26 PM PDT by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Vaquero

Better to view obliquely. Plenty of ways to view the eclipse without ever looking directly at the sun


13 posted on 08/17/2017 1:50:36 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

The reason staring at a partial eclipse is more dangerous than the full sun is because the overall light is less, so the pupils are more dilated. So although there’s a smaller surface area of the sun that focuses on the retina, it tends to be brighter than normal.


14 posted on 08/17/2017 1:50:54 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

I dont trust the glasses, completely. I plan to take a brief glance at the sun with the glasses, and then take them off and look all around at how this weird lighting reflects off the landscape. That really interests me more than the black hole in the sky.


15 posted on 08/17/2017 1:51:42 PM PDT by Mamzelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

A solar eclipse can be viewed directly safely with a number 14 welder’s lens, available at any welding suppy store or on Amazon.

Just affix the lens to a paper towel card board tube on one end. I’ve also seen special glasses available which contain similar protective lenses.


16 posted on 08/17/2017 1:52:10 PM PDT by Signalman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 4Runner

Beer goggles?


17 posted on 08/17/2017 1:53:33 PM PDT by shotgun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Vaquero

Liability.


18 posted on 08/17/2017 1:54:32 PM PDT by shotgun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

I bought a pair of cardboard eclipse glasses from Walmart for a buck.

Normally I would be a bit skeptical but they pretty much have to be OK or they would face huge lawsuits.


19 posted on 08/17/2017 1:59:38 PM PDT by yarddog (Romans 8:38-39, For I am persuaded.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Vaquero
Welders mask


Not 100 percent sure a welders mask is safe. Best not to look at is directly.
20 posted on 08/17/2017 1:59:44 PM PDT by The_Media_never_lie (Is it not too late to appoint a special counsel to investigate Hillary's crimes?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson