Many people will be watching the solar eclipse tomorrow however The College of Optometrists is warning people not to look directly at the sun.
The eclipse, which happens when the moon comes between the sun and the earth, will see most of northern Europe, including the UK, plunged into darkness for several minutes on the morning of the 20 March.
Here are some tips to follow during tomorrow’s solar eclipse:
Don’t:
Don’t look directly at the sun, even with sunglasses on – they don’t offer enough protection
Don’t watch it directly through a telescope, binoculars, camera or camera-phone. Even if you are just lining up the projection, this still puts you at risk
Do:
Use a pinhole projection method. This involves putting a hole in a piece of cardboard, and holding the cardboard up – with your back to the sun – so that an image of the sun is projected onto another piece of paper or card. This works well using a cardboard box, and will allow you to see the progress of the eclipse without damaging your eyes
Use glasses with specially designed solar filters (bearing the appropriate CE mark) if you have to view the eclipse directly.
Enjoy the solar eclipse tomorrow but remember safety for your eyes!