damage will occur! When you stare directly at the sun—or other types of bright light such as a welding torch—ultraviolet light floods your retina, literally burning the exposed tissue. ... It destroys the rods and cones of the retina and can create a small blind spot in the central vision, known as a scotoma.

Does the sun actually blind you?

You might not go blind by staring at the Sun, but please don't test it! It's possible, but the hazard is often exaggerated. Even at midday, a normal eye will only let in enough light to heat the retina by about 4°C. You need at least 10°C to cause thermal damage.

Why is staring at the sun bad?

Too much visible light can penetrate your eye and damage the retinal tissue, which causes a condition called solar retinitis. This means parts of your retina can no longer process light normally, so you can end up with entire chunks of your vision blurred out. ... So do your eyes a favor and avoid looking at it.