Why are UAE experts warning that moon-sighting with telescopes on February 17 could be dangerous?

Astronomers from the International Astronomy Centre and the Dubai Astronomy Group say that because a solar eclipse occurs earlier that day and the moon will be extremely close to the sun at sunset (about one degree apart), anyone pointing telescopes or binoculars toward the crescent without certified solar filters risks serious eye injury or even permanent vision loss, since the sun may still fall within or very near the instrument’s field of view, making observation both unsafe and astronomically impractical — what do you think about restricting public telescope moon-sighting on such days, and should authorities issue stronger safety controls?

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