Doha: Hours before a partial solar eclipse occurs in Qatar, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) shared a few safety tips for citizens and residents in the country.
The safe way to look directly at the sun during the eclipse is by using special-purpose solar filters. The Ministry stated that looking directly at the sun during an eclipse without proper protection may cause 'permanent or temporary' damage to the retinal cells of the viewers. This could also lead to blindness.
The Ministry also further advised to seek necessary treatment from an opthalmologist if a person develops symptoms after viewing the eclipse. Qatar will be able to witness a partial solar eclipse today, October 25.
According to Qatar Calendar House (QCH), the partial solar eclipse will last for two hours and 17 minutes, in all its phases from the beginning until the end. It will start at 1:35 pm Doha time, and it will reach its climax at 2:47 pm, and then will end at 3:52 pm. The moon will block 38% of the entire disk of the sun at the time of the peak of the eclipse.
Generally, solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is fully or partially covered. This can only happen before a new moon phase; when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction as seen from the Earth.
