People across the United States get the chance to watch a solar eclipse on Monday, Aug. 21. However, it is not safe to view the eclipse without using special, filtered glasses or a solar telescope.

Related: Want to watch the solar eclipse at a viewing party? Here is where you can go in Orange County

Looking at the sun with substandard glasses may cause permanent damage to your eyes. If you haven’t purchased eclipse viewers yet, we suggest you purchase from manufacturers or vendors that have been approved by the American Astronomical Society or International Organization for Standardization.

Here’s how the rays of the sun might damage your eyes:

(1) Visible light is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see.

(2) UVB rays can destroy the outer cells of the cornea – the eye’s protective surface – causing pain and blurred vision.

(3) UVA rays damage the eye’s lens and can harm the sensitive retina at the back of the eye and the macula, causing macular degeneration and permanent blindness.

HOW SOLAR ECLIPSE LENSES WORK

Typical sunglasses: Are made of glass, plastic or polycarbonate material that blocks out only 10 percent to 20 percent of daylight and most UV rays. Visible light can still pass though.

Solar eclipse glasses: Are typically 100,000 times darker than sunglasses and are made of black polymer, a flexible resin infused with carbon particles. This blocks out all UV rays and nearly all visible light.

Source: Dr. Baruch Kuppermann, UCI; Space.com; NASA and National Park Service