Solar Eclipse 2020: List Of Do's And Don'ts To Protect Yourself During The Celestial Event This Sunday

An annular solar eclipse happens when the sun and moon are exactly in line with the earth. But the moon is too far away to completely cover the sun like in the case of a total eclipse.

On the day of solar eclipse, temples in India usually remain shut for hours. (Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: The annular solar eclipse is going to occur on June 21, Sunday. This time it becomes an extra special event as the day happens to be a June solstice the longest day of the year. An annular solar eclipse happens when the sun and moon are exactly in line with the earth. But the moon is too far away to completely cover the sun like in the case of a total eclipse. So, the sun appears as a bright ring or annulus. It is also called a ring of fire eclipse. Most of the people these days do not believe in taking any precautions during the eclipse, however, some experts suggest that people should remember it is very dangerous to see a solar eclipse with naked eyes. List of do's and don'ts during annular solar eclipse: Space enthusiasts and even the common men are usually excited to observe the grahan in the sky. However, it is very dangerous to see a solar eclipse with naked eyes. Looking at the sun directly can destroy the cells in the retina causing retinal burns which are also known as eclipse blindness or solar retinopathy. Symptoms include loss of vision or distorted vision due to a blindspot. Thus, it is always advisable to protect your eyes and use simple tools like pinhole projection to while observing an eclipse. As per religious beliefs in India, people consider the Surya Grahan as inauspicious as the main energy providing source sun is not clearly visible. Hindu community avoids worshiping or vising temples. In fact, on the day of solar eclipse, temples in India usually remain shut for hours. Some people perform havan to get rid of the negative vibes generated during the hours of Surya Grahan. Though there are no claims by the modern sciences, few Ayurvedic practitioners say that the bacteria tend to get active in the absence of sunlight. Hence, it is advisable to refrain from eating or cooking food during the solar eclipse. One may avoid fasting for hours and rather can consume easy to digest food during the hours of Surya Grahan According to timeanddate.com, the eclipse will start at about 9:15 am and will end by 3:04 pm on June 21 (although there might be slight variation in time). It also said that the full eclipse will start from 10:17 am and the maximum eclipse will occur at 12:10 pm. According to media reports, the eclipse will be visible from parts of Africa, Pakistan, Northern India, and China. In India, for most parts of the country, it will appear as a partial eclipse and only a few places will be able to witness annularity.