Preparing for the April Solar Eclipse: Safety Tips for Eyes, Pets, and Travel
<div style=' background:#FFFFFF;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana;width:auto;padding:5px;max-height:100%;'><span><p>Mexico, US and Canada will be treated to a celestial event on the 8th of April in the form of a solar eclipse. Some parts of this continent will see a complete solar eclipse. Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, casting a shadow on our planet. Total solar eclipses completely block the sun, revealing the solar corona, while partial eclipses only obscure part of the sun. While enjoying this celestial event, ensure your and your family's safety, including that of your pets. </p><h2>Pet Safety </h2><p>So let's start with our pets' safety. Although our pets maybe smarter than us. As per Ohio State University, animals are naturally not inclined to stare at the sun. This may very well be a self-protecting instinct that will protect them, in the event you have not secured them in a safe place indoors as advised by experts. If you're having watch parties, they may experience anxiety with the additional guests, you likely have a ready-solution in such situations, re-employ the same. On the other hand if your pet reads the darkness as a symbol of nighttime and wants to sleep, then just go ahead let the sleeping dogs or cat or parrots or parakeets lie. </p><h2>Eclipse and Human Vision</h2><p>Directly looking at a solar eclipse without proper eye protection can lead to serious eye damage known as "eclipse blindness" or solar retinopathy. According to experts from the NIH (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/), Solar retinopathy is a rare ocular lesion that can result from unprotected solar eclipse viewing and also from minimal gazing at the sun. </p><h2>Safety Tips</h2><p>-These are some of the safety tips shared by various public offices:</p><p>-Use expert-approved solar eclipse glasses that meet ISO 12312-2 safety standards.</p><p>-Wear solar eclipse glasses at all times during annular or partial eclipses.</p><p>-Only view a total solar eclipse without glasses during the brief period of total eclipse, and even then, exercise caution.</p><p>-Look out for symptoms of eye damage such as loss of central vision, distorted vision, or altered color vision, and seek professional treatment if experienced.</p><h2>Alternative Viewing Methods</h2><p>-Pinhole viewers provide a safe, indirect method to observe the eclipse.</p><p>-When using telescopes or cameras, ensure they are equipped with proper solar filters to prevent eye damage.</p><h2>Eclipses and Travel Safety </h2><p>In addition to vision safety, it is also important to stay safe during travel. As per senior scientists at the </p><p>Sunnybrook Research Institute (https://sunnybrook.ca/research/), there is a likely increase in accidents and fatalities related to solar eclipse events. While it is difficult to directly attribute accidents to an eclipse, they opine that the reasons for the increase may be due to increased traffic, travel on unfamiliar routes, speeding to arrive on time to watch the eclipse, driver distraction by a celestial event, drug-or-alcohol-impairment from related celebrations, or eclipse viewing from unsafe roadside locations. It is expected that many people may travel so as to be in the path of total eclipse to better experience the event. </p><p> </p><p>If planning to travel, read on. </p><p><span style="font-size: 24px;">Travel Tips</span></p><p>-Keep car headlights on if driving during the eclipse.</p><p>-Avoid distractions like taking photos or videos while driving.</p><p>-Park in a safe area away from traffic before viewing the eclipse.</p><p>-Check travel conditions and plan accordingly, especially if attending events or festivals in the path of totality.</p><p>-Be mindful of community guidelines and regulations, such as parking restrictions or event protocols.</p><p>Don't forget to share this article with your friends who may be looking forward to this event. </p><span></div>
