Looking at the sun, even during the totality phases of a total eclipse can _permanently_ damage your eyes. Looking at the eclipse with the naked eye is damaging, but looking at it with an optical device (such as binoculars or a telescope) is even more dangerous, as the device is designed to focus incoming light on your retina, destroying them faster. There are safe ways of observing the eclipse: 1. Use #14 welders glass as a filter for either your eyes or any optical instrument such as a camera, telescope or binoculars; 2. Use a pinhole to project the image onto a piece of cardboard or paper and look at the projected image only. 3. Find a local amateur astronomer and really enjoy the view through a telescope suitably protected with a solar filter. Nora Hague Member Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Montreal Centre > Not my area of expertise: But every time there is a solar > eclipse the warning goes out that one should _NOT_ look at it > directly through _ANYTHING_! Instead, a pinhole projection box > should be used. Looking at the sun, even if in eclipse, can > cause permanent vision damage, so they say. > Usual Disclaimers > > SUB:Total Solar Eclipse www site, etc. > > FROM:Yasui R., Tokyo > > Dear Sun-Watchers, > > A the Total Solar Eclipse can be view on live on the web from 00:30 am Greenw > > ich Time to around 2:30 am on March 9 (Sunday). > > > > The website's URL is: http://www.solar.eclipse.org > > > > Your Sun lover, > > > > Ryo > > Museum Consultant > > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > > > > Tokyo March 8, 1997 > > > -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.. . -. --- .-. .- .... .- --. ..- . Nora Hague Tel: 514-398-7100 Cataloger 2D Fax: 514-398-5045 Notman Photographic Archives McCord Museum of Canadian History 690 Sherbrooke West, Montreal Quebec, Canada H3A 1E9 E-mail: [log in to unmask] - .... . . -. -.. .-.-.- --... ...-- --... ...-- ...-.-