Jaipur: 15 children lose vision after watching Solar eclipse

Fifteen children have lost their eyesight at Rajasthan's Jaipur district after watching the solar eclipse on December 26 without using any protection. A yellow spot has formed inside the eye of the children, which indicates they have lost almost 70 per cent of their vision.

Jaipur (Rajasthan): As many as 15 children lost their eyesight after watching Solar eclipse without using proper protection in Rajasthan's Jaipur district, Dr Kamalesh Khilnani, Superintendent of Ophthalmology Department at Sawai Man Singh Hospital said on Monday.

"After conducting the eyesight test of 11 children, we have found a yellow spot inside the eye of the children, which indicates they have lost almost 70 per cent of their vision", said Dr Kamalesh Khilnani.

The doctor further maintained that one should not look at the Sun directly for even a little period without proper protection. Even when 99 per cent of the surface of the Sun is covered by the moon during the partial eclipse, the remaining light is still intense enough to damage the eye.

The doctor further appeals the skywatchers to use safe viewing equipment and proper techniques to view the celestial event as the infrared and ultraviolet rays of the Sun can cause severe retinal damage.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the Sun for a viewer on Earth.