Abstract
Purpose :
1. Measure the components of the electromagnetic spectrum.
2. Determine the protective effects of hats and sunglasses on the eyes, and which type of hat protects the eyes from the most harmful emissions.
Methods :
A Black-Comet Spectrometer was connected to a cosine receptor with fiber optic cable and a computer with Spectro viz data for wavelength and photon analysis. A dark adaptation curve was recorded to optimize the results followed by measurement of the electromagnetic spectrum ever hour of the day from 8 am to 4 pm on January 28, 2018. The location of my project was at latitude 43.179344, and longitude 79.38652 (this information was determined from NASA Latitude and Longitude finder). A skull model was connected to a fiber optic cable along with the Cosine Receptor and placed into the eye socket to simulate a real-life situation. The electromagnetic radiation in the atmosphere was measured at the superior, temporal and anterior in the eye socket. It was followed by measurements of the electromagnetic spectrum by using eye protective gear such as sunglasses, a round hat, a baseball cap (sports hat), and a visor.
Results :
The electromagnetic radiation in the atmosphere was noticed to peak between 11:00 am to 1:00 pm indicating the presence of maximum radiation from the sun in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of the spectrum. It was noticed that the hats and sunglasses offered protection, but that the baseball hat offered the best protection to the eyes, out of all the hats measured. It was also noticed radiation levels dropped after 2:00 pm.
Conclusions :
The atmospheric electromagnetic spectrum was studied using a Black-Comet Spectrometer. The UV light was measured and noticed to peak between 11 am to 2 pm. It was not as intense as Visible radiation due to the protective Ozone layer. This could change during different seasons and hemispheres depending on the position of the earth with respect to the sun. Visible light radiation, however, showed maximum intensity. Studies have shown that blue light from the visible spectrum can cause macular damage. The protective effects of various hats and sunglasses were studied in this project. The results of my studies showed that the baseball cap offered the best protection by reducing the number of photon entry into the eye. The other hats and sunglasses measured were also proven to protect you from the electromagnetic spectrum.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.