Accra, Feb. 28, GNA - The National Eye Care Programme of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has advised against taking photographs of the March 29 2006 solar eclipse, warning that it could damage the eyes. It further warned against looking at the sun in a bucket of water, or with telescopes and binoculars.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the GHS on: 'The Solar Eclipse and Your Eyes' advised against watching the eclipse in a mirror or with ordinary sunglasses.

It noted that visual impairment or blindness could occur if harmful radiation from the sun reached the eye.

"Should one observe the solar eclipse with the naked eye and a burn occurs, the symptoms may not always occur immediately after viewing because there are no pain sensing nerves in the retina of the eye", the statement said.

It said children and people who have had cataract surgery; the elderly; those with existing retinal conditions and some people with mental health problems, were most at risk of damaging their eyes during the eclipse.

It said the eclipse should be clearly visible for 3 minutes, 44 seconds in Half Assini, Axim, Busua, Sekondi Takoradi, Cape Coast, Koforidua, Ho, Accra, Tarkwa, Prestea, Akim Oda, Kade and Dunkwa Ahamanso at 0908hours on March 29.

In a list of 'Ten Commandments to save your sight', the statement recommended that nobody should "chance a glance"; watch the eclipse with film negatives or smoked glass; or with damaged eclipse glasses. The eclipse should only be viewed with the recommended eclipse glasses which are on sale by Creative Dome Limited and available at sales point throughout the country.