How to protect your eyes during this Saturday’s “ring of fire” solar eclipse
Catching a glimpse of a solar eclipse can be a real treat, but even though the sun ray’s will be partially blocked they can still do tremendous harm.
Although not as awe-inspiring as a total eclipse of the Sun, North Americans will have a chance to see one of those in April 2024, an annular solar eclipse is still quite the spectacle to observe. Also known as a ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse, as name denotes, for some viewers the moon settles in the middle of the Sun blotting out all but the light around our satellite’s edges.
It will take place on Saturday 14 October with the time of the event differing on where you are when it begins and ends. Millions of people from North America to South America will get a chance to see this magnificent astronomical treat.
But you’ll want to do so carefully, lest you want to be the last thing you ever see as it could blind you.
Solar eclipse 2023: How and where to see the ‘ring of fire’
How to safely watch a partial solar eclipse
You should never look directly into the Sun with the naked eye, it can cause serious damage to your eyes according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Even if it just for a short time your retina may be permanently damaged, even causing blindness, called solar retinopathy, without wearing the right eye protection.
The only time you can safely take off eclipse glasses is during a total eclipse, and only when the Moon has completely covering the entire disk of the Sun. This is only possible if you are in the “path of totality” but you must otherwise not take off your glasses elsewhere or at any other time during an eclipse, nor look directly at the Sun.
“Totality” as it is known, lasts for a brief moment perhaps less than a minute in some locations, before it ends you will need to put your protective glasses on again.
You should only use solar eclipse glasses from companies whose products have been certified safe by authorities and purchased from reputable manufacturers. The American Astronomical Society provides a list of manufacturers and authorized dealers of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers that meet international standards for viewing a solar eclipse.
How to view an annular or partial solar eclipse without protective eye wear
If you can’t get your hands on a pair of solar eclipse glasses you can make a DIY solar eclipse viewer relatively quicky with materials found in most households or easily acquired. You’ll need a box, a sheet of white paper, scissors, a pencil, some tin foil, tape and glue. Here is a handy video for putting together your homemade solar eclipse viewer.
When will there be eclipses in 2023?
This will be the last solar eclipse of the year, but there will be a partial lunar eclipse two weeks later. Unfortunately for those that aren’t in Africa, Asia or Europe will miss out on that one. And then there’s the total solar eclipse that will be coming 8 April 2024 traversing Mexico, the United States and parts of Canada. On 2 October 2024 there will be another annular eclipse visible across the Pacific and at the southern tip of South America.