User blog comment:Pancake2/I just learned something the hard way - Read this so you won't have to!/@comment-2199953-20100901143728/@comment-1955802-20100901163021

When the sun is low in the sky, it goes through much of the earth's atmosphere and clouds which absorbs much (but not all) of the rays. Your retina can still be hurt if you stare at it long enough besides just a brief glance.