As millions of Americans prepare to look toward the sun on Monday for a solar eclipse, one Oregon man's plight is a reminder to use proper safety precautions.
According to KPTV, Louis Tomososki wanted to see the solar eclipse of 1963. Tomososki looked up at the sun for a whole 20 seconds, which was enough to cause him to go partially blind.
Tomososki told KPTV that the solar eclipse caused him to have a hole in his retina leaving him with a sizable blind spot.
Tomososki saw a partial solar eclipse in 1963, as the path of totality went through Canada.
“Every time we go to an eye doctor now for an exam, they dilate your eyes and look in there, the first thing they say is, you looked at a solar eclipse sometime in your life," he told KPTV.
According to the CDC, looking directly at the sun could cause permanent damage to the retina. The CDC said that damage can sometimes take days to appear.
According to experts, the only time it is safe to look at the sun is when it is completely eclipsed by the moon.
Tomososki is thankful the damage was not any worse.
"“I’m glad I didn’t go 40 seconds, it would have been even worse," he said.
