So what would happen if you looked at the eclipse without those special glasses?

So what’s really going to happen if you look at the solar eclipse without special viewing glasses? Though your eyes won’t melt, fry or fall out if you skip the specialized shades, you are at risk for doing serious — and potentially permanent — eye damage, said Dr. Donny Suh, chief of ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha. It can cause blindness that lasts for 10 minutes or for the rest of your life. On a typical bright day, people avoid looking directly at the sun because it’s uncomfortable to do so. The sunlight is so intense, it can damage or destroy the retina, resulting in a blindness called solar retinopathy. But during Monday’s eclipse, people without the glasses will be tempted to put up with the discomfort to see the rare event. And because there are no pain receptors in the eye, Suh said, spectators won’t realize the damage has been done until it’s too late. “That excessive light is going to potentially damage the retina,” Suh said. Glasses protect the eyes from damaging brightness. Suh expects his clinic to be busy the day after the eclipse with people who didn’t use proper viewing glasses or filters. “I’m afraid we may have cases (of solar retinopathy), although we hope to see none,” he said. “I don’t want this to be people’s last experience of seeing a beautiful thing.” Looking at the eclipse without viewing glasses is particularly dangerous for children, because their eyes are still developing. Many young children are fearless and won’t understand the importance of wearing the glasses, so adult supervision is important. Officials at Homestead National Monument are preparing for plenty of visitors, especially children. The PBS children’s show “Ready Jet Go!” will be at the park that day. Before the eclipse, organizers will have attendees test out their spectacles. Children and adults will practice putting their glasses on and taking them off. “It’s so everybody knows what to do when the time comes,” said Susan Cook, chief of interpretation and resource management at Homestead. “We encourage schools and families to do that at home, too.” Use the following safety tips when viewing the eclipse: » Make sure glasses meet safety standards. They should have the ISO number 12312-2 visible on them. Don’t use glasses if they are scratched or cracked. With the glasses on, you shouldn’t be able to see anything except the sun or a bright light, like a cellphone flashlight; even then, it should be dim. » Put the glasses on while looking at the ground. When you’re done viewing the eclipse, look back at the ground while removing the glasses. » If you’re in the path of totality, you can remove the glasses when the moon completely blocks the sun, and it’s dark. Put the glasses back on as soon as the sun begins to reappear. » Make sure a child’s glasses fit snugly on her face. » Supervise children to make sure they keep their glasses on at all times during a partial eclipse. If a child takes the glasses off, quickly place them back on or have the child look away from the sun. » Don’t look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or similar devices, even while using eclipse glasses. » If you wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put the eclipse glasses over them. Kids who may be feeling less than cooperative can watch a livestream of the eclipse online at eclipse2017.nasa.gov. People who have only one good eye or who have recently undergone eye surgery should also avoid watching the eclipse in person, Suh said. News Channel Nebraska Partners with Nebraska Loves Public Schools to Live Broadcast the Solar Eclipse in English and Spanish