Here's how to protect your eyes during the solar eclipse
Excitement is growing for the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, but experts warn there is also a safety risk for anyone planning to watch the rare celestial event.
"The sun carries a lot of solar radiation, which can be very damaging to multiple areas of the eye," says Rominder Singh, local optometrist and owner of Georgian Optometry.
Singh says solar radiation can burn your retina, the back lining of your eye.
"Some of the symptoms don't actually show up until hours after the fact. You won't know immediately that you're doing damage to your eye. Unfortunately, some of the effects can be permanent," says Singh.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Singh says the only safe way to look directly at the sun is through specially designed solar filters; adding regular sunglasses isn't safe for viewing.
"I would recommend going to the Ontario Association of Optometrists website; you can trust those vendors there. One thing you can do is, if you have a solar filter, look through it. You should not be able to see lights that you typically see," says Singh.
Eclipse glasses use special filters made of black polymer or aluminized polyester to reduce the intensity of the sunlight.
"You get a solar eclipse once every year and a half or so somewhere on the planet. If you miss this one, there's another one happening in October, but you have to go to the bottom of South America to see that one, so it's rare for an eclipse to come to your house," says CTV News Science and Technology Specialist Dan Riskin.
Riskin says the total eclipse is expected to last about three and a half minutes, depending on where you're watching from.
"Anywhere in Ontario is a great place to see this eclipse because it's going to be magnificent, and it's almost going to be totally covered by the moon for viewers all across this province," says Riskin.
Riskin adds that there will not be another total solar eclipse in Canada for another 20 years and that one is expected to occur in Alberta.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
People in Gaza are 'wasting' from famine: World Food Programme director
World Food Programme executive director Cindy McCain says people living in Gaza are 'wasting' as famine concerns continue amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
'Miscommunication' Liberals say of Speaker Fergus event invite Conservatives call partisan
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is facing fresh Conservative-led calls to resign, this time over "very partisan" and 'inflammatory' language used – the Liberals say mistakenly – to promote an upcoming event.
'Mr. Trump doesn't worry us', says Canadian ambassador
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues the 'Team Canada' charm offensive to U.S. lawmakers and business leaders, Canada's ambassador to the United States downplayed the effect of another Trump presidency on Canada.