Despite the fact that the sun is over 93 million miles away, its rays also pose important
health and ocular dangers. The principal danger posed by the sun is in the form of
ultraviolet radiation, or for short, UV radiation. UV radiation is a component of solar
energy, but it can also be given off by artificial sources like welding machines, tanning
beds and lasers. You are probably aware of the danger posed by UV radiation to your
skin, but you may not realize that. exposure to UV radiation can harm your eyes and
affect your vision as well. UV radiation is divided into several classes: UV-A, UV-B and
UV-C.

UV-C radiation originating from the solar system is absorbed by the ozone layer in the
earth’s atmosphere and does not present any threat. This is in contrast to man made
sources of UV-C, such as electric welding arcs, which are very harmful to the eyes if you
do not use proper protection. This absorption though is not true of UV-A and UV-B. More
and more scientific evidence is showing that exposure to both UV-A and UV-B can have
damaging long and short term effects on your eyes and vision.