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“The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as ‘eclipse glasses’.”

Former St.Kitts CMO Dr. Patrick Martin has issued a statement regarding tommorow’s Solar Eclipse. The Medical Doctor listed a number of precautions that citizens must stake or should take to protect themselves and in particular their eyesight during this spectcauly and rare event.

Dr. Martin said “Protect your eyesight. Protect your child’s eyesight. Never stare at the sun; not even for a second.  A partial eclipse of the sun starts around 2:2pm tomorrow Monday.  It will last for 2.5 hours.  Do not look directly at the sun, or at it through sunglasses of any kind, color film, x-ray film, a camera, binoculars or telescope.    Sun radiation causes temporary or permanent injury ranging from blurred vision to cataracts to dark spots in the retina.  A solar eclipse may be viewed only through approved lens stamped ISO 12312-2.  They are all sold out.  Fake lens are being sold.  Do not buy them.  Your eyes are irreplaceable.  Looking at an eclipse is not worth it.  Prevention is better than cure –

What’s happening?

 

On Monday, August 21, 2017, St.Kitts-Nevis  will witness an eclipse of the sun for the first time in 99 years, where the Moon will pass in front of the Sun casting darkness across swathes of the Earth’s surface.

 

The Solar Eclipse is the moment when  the Sun, the Moon and the Earth become perfectly aligned in a once-in-a-lifetime celestial spectacle seen from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Although we won’t see a perfect alignment in St.Kitts, we will be able to see a partial eclipse (where the moon covers only a part of the sun).

The eclipse is predicted to occur approximately 2:21 pm on Monday and will last for over two hours.

 

Who will see it?

 

Everyone in the UK, North America, parts of South America, Africa, Europe and Caribbean will see at least a partial solar eclipse, where the moon covers only a part of the sun.

 

However, 14 states across the United States will experience a total solar eclipse with more than two minutes of darkness descending in the middle of the day over the course of 100 minutes.

 

 

More than 12 million Americans live inside the path of totality and more than half of the nation live within 400 miles of it. Millions more are expected to travel to cities along the path to witness the phenomenon.