True Or False: Can You View The Eclipse Through Your Phone?

Residents across New York State are bracing for one of the biggest natural events to occur in their lifetime. 

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The partial and total solar eclipse on April 8th will be able to be seen throughout New York, and questions are still being raised regarding how to stay safe while it occurs. 

While the sun won’t necessarily be brighter or more intense than usual while the eclipse is happening, we’re prone to look at it more.

READ MORE: Eye Doctor Warns “Don’t Do This During Eclipse”

We can’t stress enough how important it is to watch the eclipse through proper eyewear. In order to be considered safe, your eclipse-viewing glasses need to have ISO 12312-2 printed on them (usually somewhere on the back).

But many people are left wondering: What about viewing the eclipse through your cell phone?

Can You Look At The Eclipse Through Your Camera Phone?

If you thought you'd discovered a hack for viewing the eclipse by looking at it through your phone’s camera lens, you’ll want to keep reading. 

NASA’s website on eclipse safety states:

 “Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.”

Additionally, any camera pointed directly at the sun will be taking in a significant amount of light and heat, and risks severe damage to your camera lens. Considering many of us have paid hundreds of even $1,000+ for our phones, is it really worth the risk?

If you plan on recording the solar eclipse, whether with a high-grade professional camera or your phone, you’ll want to make sure it has a solar filter. Be advised though that unless you’re a real pro with a camera that has a high shutter speed, it’ll likely be a disappointing and lackluster photo. 

Additionally, many photographers aren’t even sure if this trick will even work, and will likely lead to a lackluster photo or video while risking damage to your phone’s camera lens. 

Instead of viewing one of the most massive natural events in New York State through your camera phone, why not just put it down for a little while and enjoy the eclipse IRL (with the proper glasses, of course)? It’ll be safer for your expensive phone in general, and much safer for your precious eyes.