The solar eclipse can be dangerous for the unprepared.
Looking at the partial eclipse without glasses can lead to eye damage or even
blindness, and trying to take pictures without the proper filters can literally
cause your camera to melt (yikes!). But one danger that your parents probably
haven’t warned you about is the possibility of the world ending.
That’s right! Despite the fact that the world has
inconveniently failed to end on any of the previously-predicted dates, doomsday
enthusiasts predict that the world will end 33 days after the August 21st
eclipse. “Christian Numerologist” David Meade believes that a planet is set to
collide with the earth on September 23, kicking off the apocalypse.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how bummed you
are about the school year starting again), the world is probably not going to
end because of the eclipse. But the actual science of the eclipse is far more
intriguing than any fictional account.
An eclipse happens when the sun, the moon, and the earth
line up, allowing the moon to cast a shadow on the earth. If the moon’s orbit
was perfectly circular, we would get to see a total solar eclipse every month.
But, fortunately for our worried parents, the moon’s orbit is tilted, and so
its shadow usually misses the earth.
So-Called ‘Experts’ Predict The World Will End 33 Days After
The Solar Eclipse On August 21st Written By Emily Pollock
Eclipses can be partial (only part of the sun is blocked by
the moon) or total (the entire sun is blocked). The August 21st eclipse was a
total eclipse, meaning that a select number of people along the path of the
eclipse was able to see the sun entirely obstructed by the moon (the
“totality”).
The path of the “totality” cut across the continental United
States from Oregon to South Carolina, although people outside of this
70-mile-wide band were able to see a partial eclipse. Looking at a total
eclipse is no more dangerous than looking at the sun on a normal day. However,
you’d best be sure that it’s a total eclipse because anything less than a
complete penumbra can “cook” your light-sensitive retinas. And, because your
retina doesn’t have any pain-sensitive neurons, you won’t even realize it’s hurting
you. But generally, if you use the proper equipment during an eclipse, you
should be completely safe.
No word on whether or not it can keep you safe from the
upcoming “Apocalypse.”
