It is never safe to gaze directly at the sun, even when it is partly or mostly covered by the moon. Special eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors are required to safely view solar eclipses and prevent eye damage. Failing to take the proper precautions can result in severe eye injury, according to NASA.

Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses and specially made to enable wearers to look at the sun during these kinds of celestial events.

Sky-watchers should also never view any part of the sun through binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses unless they have specific solar filters attached. Eclipse glasses should not be used with these devices, as they will not provide adequate protection.

However, during the few minutes of totality, when the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to look with the naked eye.

But believe it or not, I’m a bit fearful about eclipses, and always have been, ever since I was a young child.

The truth is, when I was a child, I was always happy that my mom made us (her 4 little children) stay in the house during an eclipse fearing we would look up at the Sun and go blind. In fact most of the children of my generation, in my community, weren’t allowed to play outside during an eclipse, for the same reason.

Suffice it to say, today is not a comfortable day for me.