New Delhi: Of all the purges known to mankind, solar eclipses rank high in popular superstition as the perpetrators of all things evil.
Four solar and two total moon eclipses will be observed in different parts of the world, including in India, in 2011. The first solar eclipse, that will take place on January 4, will begin at 06:40 GMT and will be visible from Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Here are some myths busters on solar eclipses.
Does one go blind after watching a solar eclipse?
Viewing an eclipse with the naked eye could be dangerous. Gazing at the sun through a telescope or binoculars without filters is also dangerous and can damage the eyesight due to a condition called solar retinopathy - where the retina gets damaged.
There are safe methods to view an eclipse. Most involve viewing a projection of the eclipse rather than viewing the event directly. It is dangerous to look at the sun directly any time. But glancing at an eclipse poses less danger if special filters are used.
A solar eclipse is likely to harm a pregnant women
According to scientists, an eclipse does not cause any deformity in the foetus neither does it harm the mother. The superstition that pregnant women should not cut and sew during an eclipse is baseless.
Food cooked during the eclipse carries germs
This is a belief based on old wives tales and has no scientific reasoning.
People should stay in-doors during an eclipse
Scientists at the Nehru Planetarium have rubbished this theory and asked people to shed such superstitions.
Viewing the eclipse through a kitchen sieve is auspicious
It's just a traditional way of viewing a total solar eclipse through the method of projection. By holding the sieve just above the ground and tilting its face towards the sun, the image of the sun can be seen forming.
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