Surya Grahan 2020: What NOT to do during December 14 solar eclipse

New Delhi, Dec 11: A total solar eclipse is set to grace the skies on December 14 (Monday). Skygazers will be able to witness the last solar eclipse of 2020 from Temuco, Villarrica, Sierra Colorada situated in Chile and Argentina.

Important cities like the Pacific Ocean, Antarctica and south of South America would witness a partial solar eclipse.

According to timeanddate.com, the partial eclipse would begin at 7.04 PM (IST) on December 14, the full eclipse will begin at 8:02 PM (IST) and reach its peak at 9:43 PM(IST) and end at 12:23 (AM) IST on December 15. The longest possible duration of totality would be 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

What NOT to do during December 14 solar eclipse

• When the total solar eclipse takes place on December 14, sky watchers are advised to use safe viewing equipment and proper techniques.
• The infrared and ultraviolet rays of the Sun can cause severe retinal damage.
• Don't use ordinary sunglasses, smoked glass, X-ray film, stacks of negative film to view the eclipse.
• Never look at the sun directly through a telephoto lens of a camera or through a telescope, it can harm your eyes.
• Never look at the reflection of an eclipse in water, colored or otherwise.
• Remember, even when 99 per cent of the surface of the Sun is covered by the moon during partial eclipse, the remaining light is still intense enough to damage the eye.
• Use of unsafe filters like smoked glass, polarising filter, sun glasses, photographic neutral density filters, colour films are not advised to view the solar phenomenon.

Tips for viewing total solar eclipse

• Scientist have advised to use Proper solar filters with certified appropriate optical density against radiation which are safe to the eyes.
• Aluminised mylar films of approved thickness and transmittivity coated with black polymer are the safest for use in solar goggles that one generally uses for eclipse viewing.
• Welders glass number 14 is a safe material as solar filter for direct viewing of the solar disc.
• However, the best method to view the solar eclipse will be to use a pinhole camera or a telescopic projection on a suitable surface.