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Old 22nd Oct 2008, 21:02
  #117 (permalink)  
ChristiaanJ
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Does anybody on this thread have any reliable figures?

Looking at the sun for more than an instant, even with the iris of the eye closed to the maximum, can do retinal damage. Doing so through binoculars is almost certainly to do such damage.

Laser pointers, of the type used in a lecture hall, are "class I", and can momentarily dazzle you if shone right into your eyes in the semi-dark from close-up, but are otherwise pretty harmless. If one was pointed at an aircraft from a mile away, you would probably not even notice it.

Here we are talking about 'disco' lasers. The stuff that's used for disco shows, laser light shows, etc. For sale on eBay and suchlike to all and sundry. Now we're talking 300 mW and more.

I take it it's already a given, that looking directly into a 300mW laser beam from a mile away, even quite briefly, is enough to totally dazzle you, and make you see stars and splotches for minutes afterwards. Not quite what you want to see when you're flying an aircraft.
Even without looking directly into the beam, the effect is totally distracting, and may be enough to destroy your night vision, when, again, your iris is already fully open.

But my strictly personal question for the moment is: are there any records about permanent retinal damage at the power levels we're talking about?

Not trying to minimise the matter.... rather the contrary!

CJ
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