Peter Smith of Taunton urges eye protection for Wednesday eclipse
Peter Smith of Taunton urged everyone to protect their eyes during Wednesday's solar eclipse.
Back in 1999, he thought a welder's mask was safe, but ended up with permanent retina damage.
"Any damage you get, it'll never heal," he said.
Even now, he still sees flashes of light, just a reminder that eye injuries from the sun stick around.
Sarah Farrant recommends ISO 12312-2 glasses
optometrist Sarah Farrant said looking at an eclipse without proper gear can seriously mess up your vision for life, even if the sun seems dim.
She recommended using certified eclipse glasses (look for ISO 12312-2) or indirect methods like projecting sunlight through a colander.
As Sarah Farrant, optometrist from Taunton, put it, "You can end up with what we call a 'solar burn' at the back of the eye and that can have a lifelong lasting impact on the central part of your vision."