The Met Office has issued a warning to people who wish to view the partial solar eclipse visible in the United Kingdom on Tuesday morning (October 25).
While the moon partially obscures the sun when the sun and moon are slightly out of alignment with the Earth, a partial solar eclipse occurs.
It should be visible in the United Kingdom beginning at 10:08 a.m. on Tuesday, reaching its peak at 10:59 a.m., and ending around 11:51 a.m.
The Met Office has cautioned individuals not to look straight at the sun during the event.
They tweeted, “On Tuesday morning, a partial solar eclipse will occur across the United Kingdom. Will you see it? The moon will pass in front of the sun, obscuring as much as 25 percent of its disk. Remember, you may not be able to see the sun with the naked eye if you look directly at it.
Why is looking straight at a solar eclipse dangerous?
According to the website Prevent Blindness, it is advised not to look directly at the sun during a solar eclipse, save with extreme caution during the brief period of totality.
They write: “Exposing your eyes to the sun during a solar eclipse without sufficient eye protection might result in “eclipse blindness” or retinal burns, commonly known as solar retinopathy.
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This exposure to light can harm or kill cells in the retina (the back of the eye) that convey visual information to the brain. This injury may be temporary or permanent and is painless.”
It may take a few hours or even many days for damage to become apparent.
How to see a solar eclipse safely
Using a projected image, Prevent Blindness suggests using a pinhole projector to avoid looking directly at the eclipse.
