OREGON CITY, Ore. -- A 70-year-old man who burned his retina by staring directly into the sun during a partial solar eclipse in 1962 has a warning for those planning to view the solar eclipse Monday afternoon.
Don't make the same mistake.
Lou Tomososki, of Oregon City, told television station KGW.com in Portland that watching the eclipse with a friend outside his high school was one of the biggest mistakes of his and his friend's life -- as his friend also suffered permanent eye damage.
At the age of 70, he still has blurry vision in a portion of his right eye.
New Jersey won't experience a total solar eclipse Monday afternoon but rather about 75 percent coverage for most areas.
The eclipse is set to begin at about 1:22 p.m. in New Jersey, at which point the moon will start to move in front of the sun, causing the sky to darken slightly -- though not as much as other areas in the path of totality.
Looking directly at the sun during a solar eclipse is dangerous. However, having reputable eclipse glasses will allow you to safely watch the eclipse, which is the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse Americans will get a chance to see in nearly 100 years.
For more information on special eclipse glasses and safety tips, visit NASA's safety guide here.
If you don't plan on watching the eclipse outside, there are plenty of live streams available online. Here's a list of some good options:
- NASA live stream
- Exploratorium in San Francisco live stream
- Science Channel's Facebook live stream
- Astronomy.com live stream
- CNN special event coverage
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.