‘Don’t look at the eclipse’ as eye damage is irreversible, GHA warns

The Director of Public Health, Dr Helen Cater, is urging the public to take “clear and simple” precautions ahead of next week’s partial solar eclipse, warning that staring at the sun, even briefly and even during the peak of the event, can cause permanent, untreatable damage to eyesight.

The partial eclipse is set to take place on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 starting at 7.44pm, reaching its peak at 8.39pm and ending at 9.15pm. The partial eclipse is viewable from the westside of Gibraltar.

Next year on a total solar eclipse will take place over Gibraltar on Monday, August 2 at around 9am.

“We have concerns around people's eyesight, and it might sound really obvious, but it's that clear message to the public: do not look directly at the sun when a solar eclipse is happening,” she said.

“The reason for that is because the sky and the surroundings will start going darker. When that happens, your pupil starts dilating, so much more sunlight goes into the back of your eye, and what you won't realise is that that solar radiation can be burning the back of your eye.”

The danger, she explained, is that most people will not realise they have injured their eyes until a few hours after the eclipse. Typical symptoms include pain and irritation, headaches, blurred vision, difficulty seeing colours, and spots in the vision.

She added that there is no treatment for significant solar burns on the back of the eye and that that is not just in Gibraltar, but globally there is no treatment.

“That’s why we make such a big deal of prevention,” she said.

She underlined that ordinary sunglasses are not safe for eclipse viewing.

“Sunglasses are not dark enough. They are not going to protect your eyes. You have to get special ISO-certified eclipse viewers that properly fit your face,” she said.

Information on the correct ISO standard for eclipse glasses is available on the Gibraltar Public Health website. Echoing concerns raised by the Gibraltar Astronomical Society people are urged to buy them from a reputable source as some products on sale may falsely claim to meet these standards.

“What I’d hate to see is people thinking they’re doing the right thing by checking the ISO number, but actually they’ve bought counterfeit ones that don’t give the right level of protection,” she said.

People with pre-existing eye problems, including diabetic retinopathy, are being told to be particularly careful.

“If you’ve already got issues affecting the blood vessels at the back of the eye, and then you add solar radiation burns on top of that, it can make the condition worse,” she said.

She also urged parents and guardians to exercise “common sense” when deciding whether and how their children should watch the eclipse.

The advice for babies is clear she noted they should not be allowed to look towards the sun, even with glasses, because it is not possible to guarantee that protection is fitted and kept in place.

For older children, it depends on whether they understand the need to keep their eclipse glasses on and not remove them mid-event.

Younger or very active children may be better engaged through indirect viewing methods such as box pinhole projectors, but even with such activities, “the temptation is still for kids to look up”.

“It’s an amazing and educational experience,” she said, recalling a solar eclipse she witnessed in Mallorca some 25 years ago.

“But we need to make sure we do it safely for them.”

Dr Carter also cautioned against relying on cameras and phones as a safe workaround.

Viewing via a phone screen is “safer” than looking with the naked eye, she said, but “the temptation is to look up” while filming can still put people at risk. Camera lenses also require appropriate solar filters.

“Our advice is to keep your glasses on all the way through,” she said.

The GHA has briefed its staff and worked with the ophthalmology department to produce an online FAQ for the public, but no extra staff are being rostered on for this partial eclipse.

Dr Carter noted that in some respects this year’s event is a “trial run” ahead of a full solar eclipse expected next year, which is likely to attract many more visitors, including dedicated eclipse chasers known as ‘umbraphiles’.

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