However, Chandigarh residents would witness only a partial eclipse — 80 per cent. The duration of the eclipse would be 1 hour 49 minutes. This would be the longest solar eclipse till 2114.

With sun rising at 5.34 am on July 22, the city may be able to witness the phenomenon if the sky is not overcast. The sun would rise partially eclipsed, and the eclipse would be at its peak at 6.27 am.

People in Central and Eastern India would be able to view a total solar eclipse, which would last from three and a half to four minutes.

The total eclipse would cross the cities of Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Varanasi, Patna, Darjeeling and Dibrugarh before entering China.

‘Don’t see it with naked eyes’
Experts warn against looking directly or indirectly at the eclipse. Dr Manmohan Gupta, chairman, Department of Physics, Panjab University, says it is dangerous to see the sun during eclipse or otherwise with a telescope, binoculars or naked eyes as it can cause permanent blindness.

Proper solar filters like astro-solar film should be used to view the eclipse. And in case of a telescope, the filter should always be used with the objective, never with the eye-piece, Gupta says.

The Department of Physics would make observations during the eclipse.

“Watching the eclipse directly or indirectly could be very harmful for the eyes. It could lead to permanent blindness in one or both eyes. And it is not even curable. The best option is to watch the eclipse on television,” eye specialist Dr Rajan Chugh says.

City schools to open an hour late
As a precautionary measure, schools in the city are planning to delay the morning assembly on July 22. While some schools are yet to take a call, schools like St. Kabir and Manav Mangal Smart School have decided to open the schools an hour late.

“Parents are apprehensive that the rays may be harmful for children. Moreover, the time when the eclipse will be at its peak clashes with the time school buses ply on roads. So we have decided to delay the school opening time,” Sanjay Sardana, director, Manav Mangal Smart School, said.