Solar Eclipse: The 3 things you must NOT do during the rare astronomical event, revealed

Today's solar eclipse is set to be the biggest astronomical event of the decade.

And as millions of people around the world prepare to watch the rare event, experts have revealed the three things you should never do.

This includes looking directly at the sun, as well as buying what claim to be 'NASA-approved' eclipse glasses. 

'During the partial phase of the eclipse it's incredibly important [not to look directly] because the sun remains extremely bright,' Dr Robert Massey from the Royal Astronomical Society said.

'Even when you've got a thin crescent left, it's still easy enough to damage your eyes.'

1. Look directly at the sun

During a solar eclipse, you must never look directly at the sun.

The photosensitive cells that coat the inner wall of your eye are very sensitive to the intense light and heat generated by the sun.

Direct exposure can kill off these cells, which will not regrow naturally in the same way as other cells in the body.

This means that even brief exposure to the light of the sun can lead to permanent damage.  

The entire time you are watching the eclipse you need to look at the sun through appropriate safety equipment, including an eclipse viewer like a pair of eclipse glasses or a pinhole camera.

Even a colander can be used as a simple pinhole camera as an image of the sun will be projected through each of the holes.

If you are using binoculars or a telescope, it is absolutely vital that you have a proper solar filter fitted before you look at the sun.

Without a filter, the lenses in a telescope mean you will essentially be cooking your eye with a giant magnifying glass.

NASA advised: 'Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.'

If you can't find any safe way of viewing the eclipse today you can always watch the event online through NASA's livestream.  

2. Buy 'NASA-approved' eclipse glasses

NASA does not approve any specific brand of solar viewer, so NASA branding is a surefire sign that your glasses are fakes. 

Last month, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) warned that counterfeit solar elipse glasses were flooding the American market.

Many of these viewers fraudulently use the branding of bodies like the AAS or NASA to appear legitimate.

However, they may not give you the right level of protection and could lead to severe eye damage if used. 

Rick Fienberg, project manager of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force, says: 'There's no way to tell just by looking at them whether eclipse glasses are genuinely safe, but it's easy to tell if they are not safe.'

If you are worried about your eclipse viewers, Mr Feinberg recommends that you first put them on indoors. 

Safe solar viewers should be so dark that you won't be able to see anything around except for perhaps some extremely bright lights. 

Mr Feinberg said: 'Solar filters are at least 1,000 times darker than even the darkest regular sunglasses.' 

If they pass the indoor test, try the glasses on outside and look around before looking at the sun.

Once again, if the glasses are real you shouldn't be able to see anything except the faint reflection of the sun in some shiny surfaces. 

The AAS also maintains a list of recommended solar safe solar viewers which you can check if you have any concerns.

3. Drive 

Even for the most vigilant drivers, the total disappearance of the sun is going to be a significant distraction.

As the moon's shadow sweeps across the Earth, areas will suddenly plunge into darkness and shadows will become strangely distorted.

However, the most dangerous times to be on the road will actually be in the hours just before and after the eclipse.

During the 2017 solar eclipse, fatal road crashes jumped by around 30 per cent in the US.

The largest uptick was observed in the hour preceding the eclipse because millions of people departed at the same time, amounting to a 50 per cent increase compared to the average day.

In addition to the obvious distraction, it is likely that people will be pulling over to the sides of the road to watch the eclipse as it happens - adding more obstacles to the road.

At a recent press conference, Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator, said: 'We want to make sure we're looking out for the pedestrians, it's important that we stay focused on everyone around us.

'People probably are going to be stopping, so be careful.'

In the hours immediately after the solar eclipse, the roads are also likely to be heavily congested with eclipse-watchers heading home so wait a while to avoid traffic.