Accrington and District Blind Society has warned people to be careful when viewing tomorrow’s exciting solar eclipse.
Sky-gazers are expected to catch the unmissable near-total eclipse as the moon moves in front of the sun.
For many, this will be the first time they have witness the astronomical phenomenon in 15 years.
It will take place on Friday, March 20 between 8.27am and 10.42am with the maximum extent at 9.32am.
However, experts said there can be a ‘risk to eyesight’ if people don’t take precautions.
Peter Taylor said: “Looking at the sun even for a few seconds can cause burning to the retina and permanent damage. Sunglasses will be ineffective as they will still let through the infra-red light. We’ve even known people trying to look at the sun through binoculars.
“We’d rather prevent someone having a sight loss than have to support them with a serious eye condition.
“We’d also ask parents to be especially careful with children and young people as the eclipse may be quite exciting and the natural reaction is to look at it. There is no real safe way apart from watching the images via television.”
Bosses at Specsavers in Accrington are also urging residents to ‘turn around’ when watching the eclipse or wear a pair of ‘eclipse glasses’.
Suzanne George, director, said: “While full solar eclipses like this only happen every now and then, you only get one pair of eyes to last you a lifetime, so it’s vital to look after them.”
The next ‘deep’ partial eclipse visible from the UK will not take place again until August 2026 and the next total eclipse not until September 2090.
