I can't speak to the new green lasers but I read a piece about the effects of red laser pointers on eyes that surprised me. In the study a number of people with malignant tumors associated with their eyes volunteered to stare directly into red laser pointers. The eyes were going to have to be removed eventually anyway so I guess they figured they had nothing to loose and could contribute to science. The surprising thing was the red laser pointers had no permanent effects on the eyes. Don't know if the results would be the same for the new green lasers. Patrick Joe Bauman wrote:
Hi all, a fellow reporter would like to know about the power of lasers to harm pilots' eyes. A Delta pilot apparently suffered damage to his eyes while flying into SLC the evening of Sept. 21. I know that sometimes people following our astronomy hobby use lasers to point out celestial objects at star parties, etc. What we don't know is whether these things are powerful enough to damage the eyes of pilots. This incident happened one day after first-quarter moon so I doubt anything was going on with astronomy at that time. But if you can help with descriptions of how powerful or weak the lasers are, etc., please give Jenifer Dobner a call at the paper at 237-2122. Thanks, Joee