What you need to know
- The total solar eclipse on April 8 has passed, and people caught a glimpse of the sight with their eyes and cameras.
- However, it didn't go completely without a hitch — searches for 'my eyes hurt,' and similar topics surged on Google after the eclipse.
- Google Trends data documented the spikes, which follow a similar pattern to the last solar eclipse.
The last total solar eclipse to cover the continental U.S. came and went earlier today, April 8, and it left behind a massive amount of people reporting eye pain. We all know that it isn't a great idea to look directly at the sun, but the rules change a bit during a solar eclipse. With the right eye protection (special eclipse glasses) and a bit of care, you should be able to view the total solar eclipse safely. However, as shown by Google Trends data, that wasn't the case for everyone.
Searches for "my eyes hurt" on Google experienced a huge burst starting at 1 p.m. ET. They peaked at around 3:20 p.m. ET, with search volumes easily quadruple the average figures for the past year. These times line up with when the solar eclipse was making its way over the continental U.S., starting with the southernmost portion of the country and continuing through Canada. Similar searches for topics like "Why does eclipse hurt your eyes?" and "Why do my eyes keep watering?" spiked as well following the solar eclipse.
Breaking it down by state, searchers were highest in Vermont, West Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Of those states, only one (West Virginia) was not at least partially in the path of totality. However, keep in mind that the top states are constantly shifting as Google Trends data evolves.
Why are people searching for "my eyes hurt" following the total solar eclipse? It probably comes from a lack of understanding about when and how it is safe to look at the phenomenon. Per the National Solar Observatory (NSO), you can only look at the sun during a total solar eclipse without eye protection when there is complete totality. If there is even one percent of the sun visible, that is not complete totality, and this can damage your eyes. Additionally, totality only lasts for a short period of time.
"During totality, you may view the Sun without proper eye protection, such as solar glasses," the NSO explains. "But during all other phases of the eclipse, you should only look at the Sun when your eyes are protected."
Separately, a last-minute recall exposed that some protective eclipse glasses were "potentially failing to meet safety standards." They were sold on Amazon, meaning that people could have unknowingly bought them in a number of states, believing the glasses to be protective. Using sunglasses or any other kind of faulty eclipse glasses doesn't protect you from the sun, and this could cause eye pain.
Hopefully, you were able to experience the eclipse without any eye pain and maybe got some sick photos of it, too. If you do happen to be suffering from persistent eye pain, it's probably a good idea to reach out to a medical professional rather than Google.
