Precautions to take while watching Solar Eclipse

Today all the attention will be on the sky as everyone will  witness the last celestial treat of 2019. Before entering into 2020, people in certain parts of the world will be able to witness the last Solar Eclipse of the season. Surya Grahan also called Solar Eclipse is a celestial event where the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, which blocks the rays of the Sun from falling on the Earth. This year’s last solar eclipse will be seen on 26th December from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm. This solar eclipse will not be the total solar eclipse but annular Solar Eclipse, which happens when the Moon covers the Sun's Centre, leaving the Sun's outer edges visible, forming the ring of fire. Looking at the Sun directly can damage the tissue of the eyes. Some people feel it’s alright to look at the Sun during the eclipse the Sun does not give out much light. But, according to NASA, even when 99 per cent of the Sun’s surface is covered during the eclipse, the visible part can still cause retinal burn.

Here are a few precautions that you should take while watching the solar eclipse:

- Do not watch the Sun through dark tinted glasses or a phone camera. This is unsafe can lead to permanent vision loss.
- Do not use homemade filters or sunglasses as they are not effective.
- Avoid looking at the Sun through telescope, binoculars and any other optical device.
- There are special solar filters available in the market to witness the eclipse.
- Looking directly at the Sun can lead to loss of central vision,  distorted vision and  altered colour vision
- If you watch any symptom after viewing the solar eclipse, rush to your doctor immediately. It’s completely safe to step out during the solar eclipse until you do not look at the Sun.