Do not look directly at the solar eclipse with unprotected eyes. The photospheric crescent will be intensely bright and can hurt them, causing blindness or serious loss of vision.

The safest and most inexpensive way to watch the solar eclipse is by projection, in which a pinhole or small opening in a piece of cardboard is used to cast the image of the sun on a screen placed a half-meter or more away.

You also can use glass filters specifically designed for this purpose. They usually have a thin layer of aluminum, chromium or silver on their surfaces, which reduces the amount of visible, ultraviolet and infrared light. One of the most widely available filters for safe solar viewing is a number 14 welder's glass. Aluminized Mylar has also become a popular and inexpensive alternative in recent years. Mylar can easily be cut with scissors and adapted to any kind of box or viewing device.

(Xinhua News Agency)