Fun Facts

10 Aug

Posted at 07:29h in Fun Facts, Trivia
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Seems everyone is getting very excited for the coming complete solar eclipse on Monday, August 21st at 1:47 PM. The Denver area is 152 miles from seeing the total eclipse, so you better plan on a crowded trip up I-25 to Casper, Wyoming if you want to see the sun totally blocked out. The Denver area will be just over 92% blocked out at the height of the eclipse. Colorado Springs will be just under 89% eclipsed. Do you want to see the eclipse?

DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN…. even during an eclipse!

Here are a few tips we gathered from NASA as to how to look at an eclipse.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks any part of the sun. On Monday, August 21, 2017, a solar eclipse will be visible (weather permitting) across all of North America. The whole continent will experience a partial eclipse lasting 2 to 3 hours. Halfway through the event, anyone within a roughly 70-mile-wide path from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a brief total eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face for up to 2 minutes 40 seconds, turning day into night and making visible the otherwise hidden solar corona — the sun’s outer atmosphere — one of nature’s most awesome sights. Bright stars and planets will become visible as well.

 

The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” (example shown at left) or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. To date five manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products: American Paper Optics, Baader Planetarium (AstroSolar Silver/Gold film only), Rainbow Symphony, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17.
  • Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury. Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device.
  • If you are within the path of totality (https://go.nasa.gov/2pC0lhe), remove your solar filter only when the Moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Experience totality, then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases.

An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially eclipsed sun is pinhole projection. For example, cross the outstretched, slightly open fingers of one hand over the outstretched, slightly open fingers of the other. With your back to the sun, look at your hands’ shadow on the ground. The little spaces between your fingers will project a grid of small images on the ground, showing the sun as a crescent during the partial phases of the eclipse.

Want to see what the eclipse will look like from your zip code? Click this great link from Vox.

18 Jul

Posted at 18:37h in Fun Facts, Trivia
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As we approach Shark Week next week, did you know that shark corneas are very similar to the ones we humans have? As such, shark corneas have been used as replacements in human eye surgeries. Want to see Shark Week in all its gory glory? Check out some new lenses at Europtics today.

Shark Week at Europtics

12 Apr

Posted at 17:22h in Condiitions, Doctors, Fun Facts
1 Like

Having a regular comprehensive eye exam can do more than just test your vision. Yes, getting the right prescription can help you see better no matter the distance, no matter the time of day. However, did you know that there are many health problems than can be detected by an eye exam much sooner than most medical exams? Our friends at All About Vision have created this infographic sharing just some of the health problems that can be detected with a thorough eye exam. Ready to schedule your eye exam? Click here and let us help.

27 Jun

Posted at 14:00h in Fun Facts
5 Likes

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It’s Shark Week! We are excited for the week-long celebration of Sharks on the Discovery Chanel. We thought it might be fun to share a little information on how sharks see their world while we all watch them.

Unlike human’s, shark’s eyes are almost on completely different sides of their head, giving them an almost 360-degree view of their world. A shark does have a couple of major blind spots, one of which is directly in front of their snout and the other right behind their head,  Like humans though, we sometimes wonder if mother sharks have proverbial eyes in the back of their heads.

Sharks can actually only see about 50 feet ahead which is why their sense of smell is so evolved. Remember, sharks can often smell a drop of blood as far as a quarter mile away. A shark’s eye has tapetum lucidum, which are mirrored crystals located behind the retina that help it see in the dark. Like a cat, it makes it appear that their eyes actually glow in the dark. Because of the tapetum lucidum, a shark can see about 10 times better than a human can in dim light.

21 Jun

Posted at 14:57h in Condiitions, Fun Facts
1 Like

Omega 3 fatty acids are important for eye health as they can decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration and are also therapeutic for patients with dry eye syndrome. Where do we get Omega 3’s? For most of us, we find all the Omega 3 our body can use in fish and fish oil. Since summer is a great time for fresh fish, we thought it important to remind you to fill your summer (and your tummy) with lots of great fresh fish.

fish-Omega3-for-your-eyes

 

Want another way to get Omega 3’s? To get the same amount of Omega 3 that you would get form 1 fillet of salmon you would need to eat a dozen eggs.  Omega 3 eggs are a great eye food however; they don’t replace fish in the diet. Eating 2 servings of wild salmon (Alaska) per week and 2 servings of other cold-water fish will provide your body with an omega-3 intake equivalent to 850 mg of DHA and EPA per day. By comparison one omega-3 egg contains approximately 125mg of DHA (omega-3 fatty acids).  Although they are not a replacement for DHA and EPA in fish, eggs are a great source of other eye nutrients such as lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin E and zinc.

13 May

Posted at 13:27h in Eyeglass frames, Fun Facts, Sunglasses
2 Likes

The warm weather is here and we are all spending more time outside. Whether you are playing golf, tennis, bike riding, swimming, sailing or just catching a few rays during lunchtime, sunglasses should be a very important part of your summer wardrobe. At Europtics, we have a huge selection of name brand designer sunglasses available in prescription and non-prescription. Before you come in to pick out that perfect pair of sunglasses for summer, we thought we would share this infographic about the various sunglasses tints available to help you select that perfect pair for your needs. Stop in and let us show you the different tints we can make for you based on your needs.

tints-info

 

 

21 Jan

Posted at 16:05h in Doctors, Fun Facts
1 Like

The eye is a remarkable mechanism. Of course we are biased since we have made eyes our life’s work. The folks at TED-Ed and TED Talks have put together this video highlighting the evolution of the eye and where we might even go from here with science. Stop into any Europtics location today and let us show you some truly evolutionary eyewear!

08 Nov

Posted at 16:49h in Doctors, Fun Facts
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How colorblind are you? Most of us suffer some degree of colorblindness, especially as we age. Men suffer from colorblindness at a much higher rate than women. Here is a fun colorblindness test you can take online from your desktop computer. If your score is higher (worse) than you expected, call us to schedule an eye exam and let’s see if we can help you see better and clearer.

Color Test Online Color Challenge X Rite

06 Nov

Posted at 16:19h in Doctors, Fun Facts
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How colorblind are you? Most of us suffer some degree of colorblindness, especially as we age. Men suffer from colorblindness at a much higher rate than women. Here is a fun colorblindness test you can take online from your desktop computer. If your score is higher (worse) than you expected, call us to schedule an eye exam and let’s see if we can help you see better and clearer.

Color Test Online Color Challenge X Rite