The scientist who went blind from looking at the sun was John Couch Adams. He was an English astronomer who is best known for his independent prediction of the existence of the planet Neptune.

While observing the sun, he did not look directly at it. Instead, he used a telescope to project an image of the sun onto a screen. However, he did this for a prolonged period of time, and the intense light damaged his eyes.

It's important to note that the specific circumstances and details surrounding Adams's blindness are not widely documented. However, the general consensus is that his eye damage was a result of prolonged exposure to solar radiation, even indirectly through a telescope.