Ask an Explainer

The sun is a giant ball of plasma that can hurt, even destroy, your eyes, so please, do not look directly at the sun!

The black you see after looking at the sun is just proof of this. Your eye sees thanks to very delicate receptors on the back of your retina. These are very sensitive to different lights, and hep you see colors and hues, light and shadow. When you stare at the sun you overwelm those receptors. Think about the ringing in your ears after you hear a very loud noise. If you stare too long, you can destroy those receptors.

If you do want to look at the sun, check out NASA's fantastic solar photography.