On Monday, a celestial encounter will occur as the Moon obscures the Sun, casting darkness over those in the path of totality, stretching from Mexico to Canada. Scientists suggest wearing red and green together to enhance the visual experience of the Purkinje effect, where reds appear dark and muted while greens remain vibrant.
The eye’s receptors, rods and cones, play different roles in vision. Rods are active in low light conditions while cones are responsible for color vision in bright light. Mesopic vision occurs in between where both rods and cones are active. This explains why eyesight may seem worse at dawn or dusk and why colors appear differently during an eclipse’s totality.
During an eclipse, the sudden darkening of the sky causes a drastic change in how colors like red and green are perceived. The recommendation to wear these colors is purely physiological and cannot be captured in photographs. For anyone planning to photograph the eclipse, safety precautions must be taken including using proper eye protection. Stay safe and smart while observing this rare event.
