Famed psychosexual therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer is warning people to use proper eye protection when viewing the upcoming solar eclipse.
On April 8, the moon will be positioned so that the entire disc of the sun will be blocked in 13 states, plunging millions of people into darkness during the early afternoon. The path of totality will start in Mexico and extend across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before heading over the North Atlantic. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total eclipse.
The spectacle is expected to draw travelers from around the nation as people head to areas in the path of totality to witness the eclipse. Viewers of the astronomical phenomenon are urged to wear proper eye protection when looking at the eclipsed sun to protect their eyes from permanent damage.
Westheimer issued a humorous reminder that proper eye protection does not include condoms.
"I've been urging people to use protection when having sex for decades. So now I want to urge you to use protection for your eyes if you plan on observing the solar eclipse," Westheimer posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday morning. "And, no, don't look at the sun thru a condom but special glasses."
Newsweek reached out to Westheimer through X for comment.
Westheimer was appointed as the State of New York's first Loneliness Ambassador in 2023, in which she "pledged to help New Yorkers of all ages address the growing issue of social isolation," according to a State of New York press release.
Westheimer, better known as Dr. Ruth, rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s as a sex therapist who hosted popular talk shows on radio and television. The 95-year-old often shares advice on social media regarding friendship, intimate relationships, and loneliness and is a Holocaust survivor.
NASA advises against looking directly at the sun during a total solar eclipse except for the brief period when the moon completely blocks the sun.
"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," NASA warned on a webpage dedicated to eclipse safety.
NASA suggested viewing the astronomical phenomenon through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer before and after totality.
"You can view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection only when the Moon completely obscures the Sun's bright face – during the brief and spectacular period known as totality," NASA said. "You'll know it's safe when you can no longer see any part of the Sun through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer."
However, as soon as the sun begins to reappear, viewers should immediately put their eclipse glasses back on or resume looking through a handheld solar viewer to prevent eye injury.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more
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