Some people throughout the Sunshine State might’ve gotten too much sun Monday afternoon after ignoring warnings and staring too closely at the Great North American Eclipse, according to a review of online search terms.
At 3 p.m. – the time of its peak in many Florida cities – search terms like “eyes hurt,” “looked at sun,” “eyes hurt after the eclipse” and “I accidentally looked at the eclipse” hit their peak popularity, Google Trends keyword search analytics show.
Millions of Floridians paused what they were doing to step outside and experience the astronomical wonder, especially during the eclipse’s peak that was visible here anytime between 1:55 p.m. to 3 p.m. depending on the city.
Those who were really dedicated to the rare celestial event parked themselves outside for the roughly two-and-a-half hours that the sun and moon crossed paths.
What cities searched these terms the most?
As of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, these were the top five cities that saw the most searches for “eyes hurt”:
- Panama City
- Jacksonville
- Gainesville
- Pensacola
- Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne
As of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, these were the top five cities that saw the most searches for “looked at sun”:
- Gainesville
- Tampa/St. Petersburg
- West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce
- Jacksonville
- Fort Myers/Naples
As of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, these were the top five cities that saw the most searches for “eyes hurt after the eclipse”:
- Miami/Fort Lauderdale
- Fort Myers/Naples
- Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne
- Tampa/St. Petersburg
- West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce
As of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, these were the top five cities that saw the most searches for “I accidentally looked at the eclipse”:
- Tallahassee
- West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce
- Jacksonville
- Tampa/St. Petersburg
- Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne
Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
