Tick tock… In just a few hours, the total solar eclipse will happen in the sky. The certified protective glasses ISO 12312-2 are bought, the perfect spot to watch it is found, but one question is nagging us: if we want to enjoy it alongside our furry friend, do we need to protect them too?
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Essential protection for humans
It's a proven fact: without effective protection, watching an eclipse can have devastating effects on your vision. In the moment, you feel nothing—no itching or burning. Yet in the days that follow, dark spots can appear and blur your sight. Unfortunately, these are irreversible. During the 1999 eclipse, 147 people suffered retinal damage and 7 people became visually impaired. This is why it's essential to get glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2:2015 standard and to keep them on throughout your entire eclipse viewing. Medical X-rays, photographic negatives, regular sunglasses or even glasses used for the 1999 eclipse are
of no effectiveness to protect you!
A disruption to the internal clock of certain animals
But what about animals then? Good news, there's nothing to worry about for them. They instinctively tend to look away from the Sun and their vision therefore cannot be affected by UV radiation. No need to equip them with glasses, or even keep them indoors to protect them from the sun. On the other hand, it's the large crowds and all the commotion surrounding this historic event that can cause stress, particularly for dogs.
The sudden darkness caused by the Earth's movement passing in front of the Sun can also seem unusual and disrupt the internal clock of our animal friends. Dogs and cats may, for example, think it's time to r
receive their meal or go to sleep. On the wildlife side, it's possible to see nocturnal insects become active earlier than usual, or for birds to stop singing.