The total solar eclipse has officially come and gone, and it was truly a sight to behold, no matter where you were.
Thanks to proper eyewear, millions were able to view the rare cosmic event with no problem at all, but there were others who weren’t so lucky if their tweets are any indication.
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Despite countless warnings across all avenues of the media for days and even weeks before the event, many people couldn’t help themselves and took a peek (or a long look) at the sky as the moon made its journey across the sun.
Whether they were armed with glasses and decided to sneak a lens-free look or weren’t able to secure a pair and still wanted to get in on the action, many took to Twitter after the event to lament over their pained and strained eyes.
Not looking up at this eclipse is like staring at a cookie jar that says do not eat. Impossible and rude.
— FLETCHER (@findingfletcher) August 21, 2017
i looked at the sun for like a split second and now my eyes hurt super bad, science was not lyin man
— robert california (@CollinAmbuIance) August 21, 2017
So after reading tons of advice about how i shouldn’t look at the sun even through dark ass glasses, i looked at the sun. my eyes hurt.
— Mohammad Alsaafin (@malsaafin) August 21, 2017
NASA: don’t look at the eclipse without glasses, it will hurt your eyes
Me: pic.twitter.com/uAPF0WrHm5
— Nathan (@ndspeiser) August 21, 2017
I just looked at the sun for like a second and now my eyes actually hurt this eclipse isn’t a joke
— Colin Duthie (@colinduthie_) August 21, 2017
admire my pictures i hurt my eyes for em pic.twitter.com/bXwKErKcyo
— baby heavs☺︎ (@_weavequeen) August 21, 2017
As for potential retina damage, there are no immediate symptoms, so those affected will likely notice the next morning, Dr. B. Ralph Chou, president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and a former optometry professor told TIME.
“They can’t see faces in the mirror, they can’t read the newspaper or the smartphone display, they’re having trouble looking at road signs, and basically they’ve got this center spot in their vision that is intensely blurred,” Chou said.
There are no cures for any damage done during the eclipse, and symptoms may or may not resolve depending on the severity of exposure.
Photo Credit: Instagram / @solo9113
