The total solar eclipse has now passed, but it seems that many people are still feeling the effects.
On Monday, millions gathered along the path of totality to witness the rare celestial event, which made landfall in Mazatlán, Mexico, before being visible in various parts of the U.S. and Canada, according to Reuters.
Of course, everyone knows that you cannot view a solar eclipse without proper eye protection — well, almost everyone.
According to Citizen Free Press on X, Google searches for “Why do my eyes hurt” skyrocketed right after the eclipse.
Search results for “My eyes hurt” and “Why do my eyes hurt” explode after the eclipse. pic.twitter.com/jKXRlaAjTB
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 8, 2024
Google Trends also showed that around 100 people searched “my eyes hurt,” while “I looked at the sun” also spiked.
During the last eclipse in 2017, there were 100 cases of eclipse-related eye injuries, according to NPR.
Judging from the Google spikes, the number of people seeking help for solar retinopathy, which is basically a sunburn on your retinas, is likely to be just as high, if not higher, this time around.
Did you watch the eclipse?
Thankfully, despite the discomfort, most of these people will probably be okay.
In 2017, far more people showed up at emergency rooms with symptoms like watering eyes and blurry vision, but most of them turned out to be fine, according to a doctor from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, NPR reported.
Former President Donald Trump took his glasses off and looked at the sun in 2017, and he doesn’t look any less for the wear.
The event did, however, prompt a sad attempt at humor from his opponent in the 2024 presidential election, President Joe Biden, on Monday.
In a video message, Biden can be seen donning eclipse glasses on the same balcony from which Trump and his family looked at the partial eclipse in 2017. “Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe, don’t be silly,” Biden can be heard saying in the video, an apparent dig at the former president, according to the New York Post.
An eclipse is worth marveling at.
But don’t be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear. pic.twitter.com/S6REAiZ735
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 8, 2024
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also put out a tweet mocking the former president for looking directly at the sun.
Reminder: https://t.co/BTBK9YdoMA pic.twitter.com/upAE0BXaGV
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 8, 2024
But the jabs didn’t seem to bother Trump, who put out a hilarious eclipse video that made Biden look like a weak old man in paper glasses in comparison.
The Trump solar eclipse ad is pissing liberals off 😂😂 they have absolutely zero sense of humor. #Trump2024 #SolarEclipse pic.twitter.com/M902ds6eNp
— 🇺🇸Jesse Sweeney🇺🇸 𝕏 (@JesseASweeney) April 8, 2024
At the end of the day, when it comes to solar eclipses, it’s best to listen to the experts and keep those eclipse glasses on.
