Every day is sun day

No, this isn't more Sun  (AKA News of the World) exposes about rip off opticians.

This is a comment on the increased level of solar activity we are currently experiencing. As the sun enters its most active phase of its 11 year cycle the boffins have been getting excited about the impact solar flares and their accompanying electromagnetic radiation blasts are going to have. It struck me how similar pictures of the sun look to fundus pohotographs of damaged retinas.

Will satellites fall from the skies? will power grids burst into flames, will the internet be plunged into data darkness.Err well no actually nothing happened.

I'm still trying to get over the disappointment of not being able to see the northern lights from my home in the south of England.

My father used to tell me a story that as a boy, back in Devon in the 1930s, He saw the morthern lights one night with a group of friends. He was a country boy and was obviously out and about with his friends ( possibly on a scout camp or having an airgun fight).

The following day the lads relayed this bit of information to their geography teacher who was distraught at having missed the spectacle. It was the 1930s after all and he was a humble teacher in Tiverton so probably would never have the opportunity again, unlike today

I digress.

Solar flares are not the only heightened interest in UV. The damaging effects of the sun are also reaching new levels as modern mechanisms for detection of damage ( see last week's issue) and new products launched (see Essilor Crizal UV in this week's issue).

New techniques coming out of the US and the inclusion of eye health into plublic health are sure to see this issue forced higher up the agenda.

As for seing the northern lights, I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed.