Minnesota doctor shares best practices to safely view the solar eclipse
MINNEAPOLIS — In Minnesota, cloud cover and rain will likely scuttle our viewing plans, but we'll have a partial eclipse with 75% of the moon covering the sun, which will peak at 2 p.m. on Monday.
Some Minnesotans are traveling to other parts of the country in the "path of totality."
"A good friend of mine went to the last eclipse in 2017 and was just blown away by the experience, he was like we have to go," said Chris Meyer, who traveled from Minneapolis to meet a group of friends in a city just north of Austin, Texas so they could be in the path of totality.
Meyer says it was a trip a year in the making for them that he knows comes with risk.
"Kind of compared it to planning a wedding ahead of time. If you're going to have it outside, that's a gamble, it's a 50/50 chance," said Meyer
Right now forecast models show dense cloud coverage in central Texas.
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"I'm a little nervous about that, but they said it was going to be cloudy [on Sunday], but the sun is peaking through the clouds, you can see the sun, so I'm hoping for the same [Monday]," said Meyer.
Don't let cloud cover fool you, as it's still dangerous to stare up at the sun. Having a pair of viewing glasses is key, and there's a simple way to check that your viewing glasses will safely protect your eyes.
"When you look through [the glasses], you actually can't see anything unless it's the sun, that's a good telltale sign you're using the proper glasses," said Dr. Guneet Sodhi, a medical and surgical retina specialist with Retina Consultants of Minnesota.
The total eclipse happens in the span of just a few minutes, so sun exposure is likely on the front and back end of totality.
Sodhi warns of the permanent damage that direct exposure can cause.
"You don't see the damage right away, but it actually appears a few days later, a few hours to a few days later," said Sodhi.
He also suggests viewing the eclipse safely through your phone.
"You could take a selfie, that's a good way of going about it," said Sodhi.
