Doctors are urging people to take proper care of their eyes during Friday's solar eclipse, which will see most of northern Europe, including Ireland, fading into near darkness for several minutes.

A solar eclipse is a rare event during which the moon covers the sun. People in Ireland will not be able to view the total eclipse. Instead, they will see a partial solar eclipse and this is expected to be at its peak between 8.45am and 9am on Friday morning (March 20).

During this time, around 90% of sunlight will be blocked by the moon.

However, according to Dr Patricia Quinlan of the Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO), ‘it is really important for people to be aware of the damage that can be caused by looking directly at the sun with the naked eye, and most especially during an eclipse'.

"Staring directly at the sun can permanently scar the retina, the area at the back of the eye responsible for vision. Solar burns to the retina are not painful and the loss of vision is not always immediate but if damage is done, it is unfortunately irreversible. Eye doctors would just like to remind people to take the necessary safety measures which are very simple but extremely effective at protecting our UV (ultraviolet) sensitive eyes," she commented.

Dr Quinlan emphasised that even sunglasses will not offer adequate protection and she also pointed out that the last eclipse in Ireland was 15 years ago, ‘when no-one really had a smart phone or took selfies'.

She said that this time around people should avoid selfies, as there may be ‘the temptation to look around the frame of the camera phone while lining up a shot'.

"A person may inadvertently glance over their shoulder to make sure the shot is aligned so it is probably best to try and avoid this," she said.

Dr Quinlan also emphasised that children are even more at risk than adults because a child's natural lens is so clear, it lets more UV rays reach the back of the eye, leading to more damage.

The ICO offers the following advice to people who wish to view the eclipse:

-Do not look directly at the sun with the naked eye or with sunglasses
-Do not watch it directly through binoculars, a telescope, a camera or camera phone
-Do not take a selfie with the eclipse
-Do not view through smoked glass, stacked sunglasses, polarised shades or photographic filters

You can enjoy the event by:

-Viewing it online
-Going to one of the many viewing events organised by various astronomy clubs and other organisations nationwide, where specially adapted telescopes will be used
-Look at the sun indirectly using the homemade pinhole projection method. Put a hole in a piece of cardboard and hold this up with your back to the sun. An image of the sun will then be projected onto another piece of cardboard or paper, allowing you to watch the sun's progress without damaging your eyes.

For more information on eye health, see our Eye Clinic here