Informations Administratives 27.07.1999	Spécial INTERINSTITUTIONS, TOUS LIEUX D'AFFECTATION
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WATCHING THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN ON 11 AUGUST 1999 ADVICE TO STAFF The total eclipse of the sun which we will be able to see from this part of the world on 11 August 1999 at midday will no doubt be watched with great interest by hundreds of our colleagues (especially as most of us will not have the opportunity to see the next one, foreseen for . September 2081!). It is of course well known that it is harmful to the eye to look directly at the sun: even if the superficial attack on the cornea does not cause damage, the phototraumatic wounding of the retina does, which is likely to lead to an important and irreversible loss of vision. Given our concern for the health of all our colleagues and of their families, we set out below some points to follow in order to minimise the risks to their eyes: It is essential to protect your eyes with special glasses. Normal sunglasses are not nearly strong enough, nor is looking through tinted glass. These special glasses (black polymer or else Mylar with a very high filtering power) can be bought from opticians (for the modest price of 2,5 EUR) or from astronomy associations. You should avoid watching the eclipse continuously, but should break it up into periods of a few seconds at a time. The sun remains dangerous, even when partly hidden from view. The above precautions should be followed even in geographical areas where the eclipse is not total. You should be especially careful to protect your children who have no notion of the danger involved and who run a higher risk given the excellent transparency of their eyes. If you wish to have further information, please find below some Internet sites which you may find interesting: http://www.iap.fr/eclipse99/liens.htm - site in FR and EN http://iphcip1.physik.uni-mainz.de/%7Eastro/eclipse99/ - site in DE and EN http://www.skypub.com/sights/eclipses/eclipses.html - site in EN. We hope you enjoy watching the eclipse which is such a rare and fascinating natural phenomenon. Medical Service and Sickness Insurance Unit

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Auteur : Direction générale du personnel et de l'administration Editeur : Direction générale du personnel et de l'administration Unité ateliers de reproduction Page créée le 22/07/99 12:07:24, dernière modification le 22/07/99 12:34:30