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Explained in plain English

Why are eyes so delicate?

Your eyes are incredibly sensitive because they're designed to capture even faint light, but this makes them vulnerable to intense brightness. The sun's powerful rays, even during an eclipse like the one on 12 August, can easily damage the delicate light-sensing cells at the back of your eye, leading to permanent vision problems.

Stories that explain this

12 August eclipse will dim UK skies

Questions this opens up

What is the retina? Can eyes heal themselves? How do sunglasses work?

Related explainers

What causes an eclipse? What are eclipse glasses? Can eclipses affect us? Where can I buy them? How often do eclipses happen? Is it safe to look at an eclipse? Why are some places darker?

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