What Happens When You Stare At The Sun?

    How long can you stare at that big, beautiful ball of gas before you go blind?

    Sam Weiner
    by Sam Weiner

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Here's a moment-by-moment breakdown of what happens to your vision if you stare directly at the sun:

    5 Seconds

    Getty Images/iStockphoto Kannaa

    An intense, unbearable brightness fills your entire field of vision.

    10 Seconds

    Getty Images/iStockphoto AidarMurzabayev

    You experience photokeratitis aka snow blindness. It causes extreme eye pain similar to having sand in your eye.

    20 Seconds

    Getty Images/iStockphoto ipopba

    The sun's UV rays have now caused irreparable retina damage resulting in partial blindness.

    30 Seconds

    Total blindness

    40 Seconds

    Blindness

    50 Seconds

    Blindness

    One Minute

    Getty Images/iStockphoto BenGoode

    A brief vision of the future, set 7 years from that exact moment.

    1:10

    Blindness again.

    1:20

    Getty Images/iStockphoto chainatp

    Now you can see ghosts, but that's it. Blind otherwise.

    1:30

    Blind.

    1:40

    Blind.

    1:50

    Blind.

    2:00

    Getty Images/iStockphoto Robert Churchill

    Vision back to normal!* Happy staring!

    *NOTE: At this point, blindness is normal for you.