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Mystery #4Tier 2space / safety

Why must you never look straight at the Sun?

We're told again and again: never stare at the Sun, especially during an eclipse. But the Sun lights up the whole sky and we see it every day. Why is looking right at it so dangerous?

A smiling man wearing special cardboard eclipse glasses looks safely up toward the Sun.
Photo: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani, Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

Your guess

What's your hunch about why staring straight at the Sun is so harmful to your eyes?

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