bobzilla said:I've used welding helmets for a very very long time to look at partial eclipses. Mines a 12. Works fine except I left it at home for the wife who refused to use it because the news told her it wasn't safe.
Sounds like she either just read the headlines, or read an article regurgitated from somebody who didn't read much further than the headlines of another article.
According to NASA: Shade 12 is the lowest recommended shade to avoid eye damage while viewing a solar eclipse, but some people in some locations may still find that too bright. At that point, I'd wonder if a pair of sunglasses under it might be enough to make the difference. On the other hand, they actually acknowledge that some people in some locations may also find shade 14 too dim. They seem to think 13 is probably the best bet for a single shade, but note that it is also less commonly available.
My AD helmet does happen to go to 13, has a 'test' mode that allows me to force it dark even if max sensitivity isn't enough, and has been used on multiple partial eclipses to great effect even at less than full darkness depending on circumstances. It's nice being able to maximize viewing potential by dialing it in to account for other factors like the suns angle and light cloud cover, so that it's neither too dark nor too bright... Just like with welding. I also learned in my youth that sliding a 3.5 floppy open and looking through the internal disk also worked surprisingly well.
Unlike our hearing, which can easily be damaged by sound levels below the physical discomfort threshold, as long as your eyes are not experiencing physical discomfort, they are generally not being damaged by the brightness.
