Stupid Question
The weather the past week has just been beautiful- 70, sunny, breezy, and just the best climate imaginable. No humidity either. However, maybe I am just going insane, but it seems like the glare from the sun has been more annoying than it was at the height of summer. Yesterday, it was so bad while driving it drove me crazy.
Am I just becoming more sensitive to sunlight, or is the angle of the sun slightly different this time of year that the glare seems worse? I remember noticing this in years past, but never thought about it.
September 8, 2010 10:15 am
Posted in: Science and Technology
64 Comments
64 Responses
eemom - September 8, 2010 | 10:17 am · Link
Two words, sir.
Over. Forty.
That is all.
aimai - September 8, 2010 | 10:17 am · Link
More sensitive to sunlight? Obviously a case of slow vampirism. Try sleeping longer in your coffin.
aimai
General Stuck - September 8, 2010 | 10:18 am · Link
Photophobia can be a sign of a medical problem, but I would go with insane, mostly because you call yourself a democrat. My vision improved when I went back to independent.
Downpuppy - September 8, 2010 | 10:19 am · Link
And get those cool Big Square Shades, so they won’t card you for the senior discount.
@Dogsdoingthings - September 8, 2010 | 10:19 am · Link
Dogs with heightened sensitivities crawling ever deeper into their own skin.
Danny - September 8, 2010 | 10:19 am · Link
Is it possible that you drive East in the morning and West in the evening? I noticed the same thing, and it’s because the sun is lower in the sky whenever I’m going to or from work. When the days were longer the sun was high enough that it didn’t bother me, but now it’s right in my eyes every day.
jharp - September 8, 2010 | 10:21 am · Link
The sun is at a different angle. As Danny posted. It’s lower in the sky. And keeps getting lower until about December 21, the shortest day of the year.
cleek - September 8, 2010 | 10:21 am · Link
less humidity = less haze = sharper (less diffuse) sun ?
specular reflections instead of diffuse reflections ?
vampirism seems most likely. avoid watching tween TV for a while. see if your symptoms clear up.
shirt - September 8, 2010 | 10:22 am · Link
Watch yur head; to me, that’s the sign of an up and coming migrain.
schrodinger's cat - September 8, 2010 | 10:22 am · Link
The sun’s position on the horizon changes with changing seasons, the sun is lower on the horizon in fall and winter.
chopper - September 8, 2010 | 10:23 am · Link
it’s probably a tumor.
Corner Stone - September 8, 2010 | 10:23 am · Link
What I find awesome is you posted this under “Science and Technology”.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther - September 8, 2010 | 10:23 am · Link
@cleek: That’s what I was going to say!
Damn cleek. Always one step ahead of me.
@schrodinger’s cat: Also, too.
chopper - September 8, 2010 | 10:24 am · Link
@Downpuppy:
and if some young kid starts laughing at you, tell them they’re rad VR goggles.
EdTheRed - September 8, 2010 | 10:25 am · Link
@chopper: “It’s not a tu-mah!”
Bnut - September 8, 2010 | 10:25 am · Link
High levels of mercury in your elitist Belgian endive.
RalfW - September 8, 2010 | 10:25 am · Link
What Danny said, plus, as the sun rises later, it tends to be in line with E-W streets and highways around rush hour, whereas it is further north and earlier in the summer.
And, the lower humidity filters the sun less, I believe. More crisp light, many more specular reflections on other cars windshields and such. I notice it too.
Omnes Omnibus - September 8, 2010 | 10:26 am · Link
Rabies. No, wait; that’s hydrophobia. Never mind. Buy some good quality sunglasses and get over it.
arguingwithsignposts - September 8, 2010 | 10:28 am · Link
I’ve noticed the same thing in town. Annoying to no end driving around.
Zam - September 8, 2010 | 10:30 am · Link
@chopper: It’s definitely a tumor.
Perry Como - September 8, 2010 | 10:30 am · Link
It’s because Al Gore is fat.
Bella Q - September 8, 2010 | 10:30 am · Link
Maui Jim – pricey but the best glare reduction according to my eye doc. Equinoxish angles of the sun tend to make it more noticeable due to timing, as described upthread.
schrodinger's cat - September 8, 2010 | 10:32 am · Link
Finally vampire kitteh bit Cole and made him into a vampire. I remember John telling us that he was pale and burned easily.
Coincidence, I think not.
LGRooney - September 8, 2010 | 10:34 am · Link
Yes, to many above. We’re heading into fall and the sun’s angle is switching (actually earth’s angle is switching) meaning it is more annoying at rush hours after having been used to the sun being up for the morning commute (unless, like me, you’re in before the sun). Additionally, without the humidity, there are fewer water molecules floating around to bounce around the sunlight (think prisms) meaning the light has a more direct path to your eyes (incidentally, this is also why skin cancer is higher in places with less humidity).
geemoney - September 8, 2010 | 10:34 am · Link
@Omnes Omnibus: Blublockers (sp?)
eemom - September 8, 2010 | 10:35 am · Link
It’s Obama’s fault, also too.
suzanne - September 8, 2010 | 10:36 am · Link
Yes, the sun gets lower and lower in the sky every day until the winter solstice. Put on some sunglasses and put some light shelves on your south-facing windows.
Lance@Lapel Pins - September 8, 2010 | 10:36 am · Link
Could be a sign of old age setting in. As we get older our eyes become more sensitive to light. Maybe try a pair of high uv reduction frames that can go over glasses. These are usually sold in drug stores and sun glass kiosks.
Ash Can - September 8, 2010 | 10:37 am · Link
Like others have said here, it’s the angle of the sun this time of year. The closer to an equinox we get, the closer in line with E-W streets the sun gets, and in the morning and evening it’s right in your eyes if you’re driving in that direction. Annoying as hell, and ties up traffic too.
Rosalita - September 8, 2010 | 10:38 am · Link
it’s the angle of the sun… burns your retinas if you are driving into it in morning/evening
neill - September 8, 2010 | 10:38 am · Link
these are the days when all grouchy old men stand by their car doors and glare at the sun with fist shaking, screaming (along with our ancient prophet)
“the sun isn’t yellow, it’s chicken…”
(and then think, of course, “chicken? ummmmm chicken…”)
Todd - September 8, 2010 | 10:40 am · Link
Despite all the sarcastic quips of (some of) your commentariat, sun glare is a serious issue.
Researches at least think so:
I noticed it driving to and from the Ren Fest near Annapolis Maryland this labor day weekend, since I had to go dead west for much of the drive.
Ben Jammin' Cisco (formerly Indie Tarheel) - September 8, 2010 | 10:40 am · Link
If you are on any meds, check to see if any warn against prolonged exposure to sunlight.
nepat - September 8, 2010 | 10:45 am · Link
Is this an open thread?
If so, I’d like to burn John’s eyes with a little sunshine from Gallup. Generic ballot all tied up. Will MSM respond with a week’s worth of breathless coverage about the Democratic comeback? Will hell freeze over?
Omnes Omnibus - September 8, 2010 | 10:47 am · Link
@geemoney: I am rather photosensitive and I use Ray-Bans (polarized lenses). A few years ago, my eye doctor told me that I needed wear polarized lens sunglasses whenever I was out in even medium light. I have light colored eyes (green) which apparently are very sensitive to light and extra protection.
As far as the vampire thing goes, I also am pale skinned and burn easily. At one point when I was in law school, I was walking out of the building and a car slowed down so that a person could yell “Vampire!” at me. Light skin, dark hair in a floppy Hugh Grant cut (it was the mid-90s, get off my back), long dark coat, and sunglasses. It was weird.
Tattoosydney - September 8, 2010 | 10:49 am · Link
@@Dogsdoingthings:
I like you.
chopper - September 8, 2010 | 10:50 am · Link
@geemoney:
yo my name is john cole, i put em on as a shockah…
debbie - September 8, 2010 | 11:00 am · Link
I try to take a walk every day. During the summer when it’s hot, I get up early and walk between 6 and 7 am. Today was my first walk at a human hour since last spring, at about 10 am. I had a great deal of trouble with the sun today (it’s cool, dry, and very sunny here too). I noticed that my excessive squinting kept me from seeing very much and was really pretty annoying.
Citizen_X - September 8, 2010 | 11:00 am · Link
It’s because the sun is brighter, which is causing the global warming, which isn’t really happening. In other words, because Al Gore is fat.
Sort of on topic, I spent the whole summer in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Lovely place (so pls. don’t hate on me, Californicans), but there was NEVER a SINGLE FUCKING CLOUD in the sky, which made for:
1) the world’s most BORING sunsets, and
2) a whole lot of glare as the sun lowered itself into stabbing-directly-into-your-eye position with no mercifully intervening objects in the way.
nonie - September 8, 2010 | 11:02 am · Link
Get your eyes checked! I had a similar problem you did with the sun, so I went to the doctor and found out that I have a latent degenerative disease called “Fuchs Distrophy”. One of the symptoms is increased sensitivity to glare.
Don’t mess around – make sure this is not something serious.
gnomedad - September 8, 2010 | 11:03 am · Link
@Ash Can:
Bingo. The other morning I was driving east and stopped at an intersection at the top of a mild hill. The sun was directly below the traffic signal, and the visor was useless; I had to proceed with my hand blocking the sun.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther - September 8, 2010 | 11:07 am · Link
@nonie: Hey, this is very, very, WILDLY off-topic, but I just noticed your handle.
Is your real name Nonie? It was my great-grandmother’s name, and I recently found an old journal of hers—but whenever I talk about it, I feel like I don’t know how to pronounce her name! I’m always saying it “NOH-nie,” emphasis on the first syllable, which I pronounce with a very round O. Is that how you pronounce it?
PTirebiter - September 8, 2010 | 11:11 am · Link
@neill: Just when you’re feeling most alone in the world a stranger says that he’s seen your tribe and they’re closer than you’d dared hope. It’s not an attractive tribe but…
demo woman - September 8, 2010 | 11:26 am · Link
@nepat: That came out yesterday. It wasn’t mentioned on Huffington, Talking Points or MSM as of yesterday. I haven’t checked today.
Catsy - September 8, 2010 | 11:29 am · Link
@gnomedad: I’ve had to do that on more than one occasion due to stoplights at the top and bottom of hills on my commute. It’s going to sound odd, but I actually learned a trick from watching BSG: hold up your hand and block the sun with your outstretched thumb, as if you’re hitchhiking. It doesn’t obstruct your view as much as holding your palm out flat, and does the job. Not something I make a habit of doing while in motion, but it helps for exactly the situation you describe.
PTirebiter - September 8, 2010 | 11:35 am · Link
@nepat: WARNING: These results are not typical. Results do not reflect the success rate of its averaged users. This poll has not been evaluated by the FDA and as with all poll results, journalists should consult with their physicians and a local RNC official before using this or any other poll. We at RNC believe that all Americans deserve access to safe and effective polls that deliver results without requiring any change of lifestyle. If you’re a journalist and cannot afford your polls, or you’d simply prefer to have your polls delivered to you at home completely free of charge, RNC has created a program to help.
artem1s - September 8, 2010 | 11:47 am · Link
Cleveland is built on an east/west axis so sun glare is a constant problem here and even makes the traffic report on a regular basis.
It has seemed worse to me over the last couple of days. I think there are just times of the year that everything is just in the right position relevant to the time you are commuting, especially if it is clear the way it has been lately.
You are not crazy.
but al gore is fat
ThresherK - September 8, 2010 | 12:12 pm · Link
How clean or scratched is your windshield? Could it be full of that goldenrod pollen, like in my town?
Odie Hugh Manatee - September 8, 2010 | 12:20 pm · Link
Sun bug ya? Move over here on the Oregon coast. We have had one day this summer that broke 90, four days that broke 80, four days that broke into the 70s and the rest of the time it bounced between 50 at night and 60 during the day. We were fogged in here almost every single day this summer except the few warmer days noted above.
Right now it’s raining. Global warming? Pshaw! ;)
quaint irene - September 8, 2010 | 12:29 pm · Link
No, it’s because Boehner has a new spring in his step.
(According to the Washington Post writer’s group)
CynDee - September 8, 2010 | 12:31 pm · Link
My chiropractor told me that he always has more people whose aches and pains increase during the fall months, starting in September. He attributes it to the changes in gravity as the earth’s position (and thus its angle) changes in relation to the sun.
Poopyman - September 8, 2010 | 12:57 pm · Link
Sorry I’m late to this, but I’ll ditto a lot of what’s above (e.g. @cleek: ). I don’t think anyone mentioned latent cataracts. I’ve had increased sensitivity to glare the past couple of years and my eye doctor tells me it’s because the lens are at the very beginning stages of clouding. I’m 56, but it seems that people are getting them at a younger age, which is probably due to increased exposure to UV.
Anyway, nobody’ll read this, so I’ll just head up-page to a more recent post ….
sukabi - September 8, 2010 | 1:28 pm · Link
looks like I’m a bit late to the show with the “have your eyes checked for cataracts” thing, but seriously – go get your eyes checked…
Carla - September 8, 2010 | 2:07 pm · Link
If you buy that goat and generator and move to Montana be aware that the sun will blind you on gravel roads at dusk this time of year. From NE MN.
Mnemosyne - September 8, 2010 | 2:24 pm · Link
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
It’s 67 degrees and cloudy right now. In Los Angeles. In the San Fernando Valley. In August.
But Algore is fat, so it must not really be happening.
The Dude Abides - September 8, 2010 | 2:34 pm · Link
@55:
Well, it was August quite recently. But yes, we’re getting close to the equinox as several have commented already, so the sun’s position in early morning and late afternoon is more closely aligned with east-west streets. And if you’re in the northern hemisphere, the farther south you are, the more closely the rising and setting sun aligns with due east and due west.
foo - September 8, 2010 | 2:55 pm · Link
This is probably too late to be interesting, but there is one more astronomical aspect beyond Equinox = E-W sunrise/sunset. There is also the coincidence with the end of work a bit after 5pm and the sunset time at 6pm. Basically, in the Northern Hemisphere, as you go from summer solstice, through equinox, to winter solstice, the sunset position moves from somewhere up towards the northwest, down to directly west (at equinox) and on down towards the southwest. Meanwhile, the time of sunset goes from something late (say 8pm, but it depends on your latitude) to right at 6pm at equinox, and on to something early (say 4 pm). If your streets are lined up EW, you get a double hit, but even if they wander around, you are just more likely to be driving near sunset time this time of year.
Glen Tomkins - September 8, 2010 | 2:59 pm · Link
If you’re having the problem only in the early morning and late afternoon, I would say that #6 is reasonable.
But I have to say that I noticed the same thing, on this last Sunday only, at about 11AM, so, no, we’re not talking about low angle sun, at least in my case. What I noticed is that even when not looking directly at, or even near the angle of, the sun, the sky in general seemed brighter. There was the sort of glare you might expect from looking down an angle near the sun, but there it was at much greater angles from the sun than you would expect. The effect was what you would expect from a haze, but a haze not deep enough to darken the sunlight, and there was no obvious haze if you judged by looking at objects on the ground. The haze seemed high in the atmosphere.
Any volcanic eruptions anywhere on the globe right now? If this was only WV and NoVA (where I am) affected , this could be some source of stratospheric haze less global in scale than a volcano.
Sure, an unexpected haze could also be a vision problem, a catarract or something more exotic. But it would be an odd problem to only be present on Sunday, and not today, when the sun is just as bright, and I’m travelling the same roads. Besides, I’m an MD, so by definition my eyesight is perfectly normal. It has to be, or confrontation testing won’t work.
asiangrrlMN - September 8, 2010 | 3:24 pm · Link
There is a sun? Who knew? Seriously, I always wear shades when I am outside because I have light-sensitivity. Shades are your friend, Cole.
Kevin - September 8, 2010 | 3:46 pm · Link
Use a pair of these. Should help with the glare… not the insanity.
Nonie - September 9, 2010 | 6:34 am · Link
@Emily – yes, it’s my real name! It’t must be an old name, I was named for my Great Aunt and have only met a handful of other Nonies in my life.
You are pronouncing it correctly, but you can imagine how often it is mispronounced! I get Nah-nee, Noo-nee and – inexplicably, “Melody”!
replicnt6 - September 9, 2010 | 5:08 pm · Link
@CynDee:
Chiropractors say the cutest things. Just ask Simon Singh.
replicnt6 - September 9, 2010 | 5:14 pm · Link
@Nonie:
I imagine you’ve seen this, but perhaps others will enjoy: http://sg.video.yahoo.com/watch/6427933/16666873
I mean, you guys are just begging for it.
replicnt6 - September 9, 2010 | 5:20 pm · Link
If you need dark prescriptions shades go to these guys: http://www.opticus.com/. They can pretty much make glasses at any %age light reduction you want.
Last summer I was having migraines and my commute to work was east in the morning and west in the evening. I needed some serious shades. I found these guys googling around. They were referenced in Outdoors magazine. They specialize in glasses for mountain climbing and other light-intensive sports.