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
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.