A quick look at what’s available online
To experience the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 you need to protect your eyes from the sun’s dangerous rays if you look directly at the sun. Plan ahead and buy solar eclipse glasses or viewers to protect your eyesight from the sun’s brightness while watching an eclipse. Regular sunglasses, no matter how powerful, cannot shield your eyes from the sun’s dangerous rays if you look at it directly. Buy certified solar eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer that are compliant with the safety standard and labeled ISO12312-2 so your eyes will be fully protected. The keywords are ISO certified solar eclipse glasses.
Here’s a sampling of eclipse glasses and solar viewers we found online. Don’t wait because many of them were already sold out and “no longer available.
Solar Eclipse Glasses
Type “eclipse glasses” in an online search engine like Google and you’ll find links to sellers.
For example, at Amazon we found packs of 5 starting at $8. The paper glasses are sold in packages and range in price and availability. We found eclipse glasses in packs of two and more at a wide range of prices.
If you normally wear eyeglasses you can put eclipse glasses over them or choose a SEIC clip-on style like Frame Solar Eclipse Glasses for about $23.
Solar Viewers
At B&H we found a pack of two solar viewers with 2x magnification by Celestron in a kit for $13. They’re called EclipSmart Solar Observing Binoculars and offer a more generous field of view and more magnification than eclipse glasses. The pack includes an eclipse guidebook, which lists dates for upcoming events
At Walmart this solar eclipse viewing kit ($19) includes glasses that meet ISO international safety standards with a fabric storage pouch, a solar-safe photo filter that makes it easier to capture incredible images with your smartphone and a 32-page educational book.
Solar Binoculars
Celestron also has 10×25 EclipSmart Solar Binoculars for $45 with non-removable glass solar filters.
This is only a sampling of protective eyewear for observing the solar eclipse.
Spend some time online to find the style, size and price you want. But don’t wait. They are selling fast and as many as there are, these eclipse glasses and viewers are very popular.
You might also be interested in:Gene and Katie Hamilton are long-time writers about using binoculars for boating, bird watching, stargazing and traveling. They are members of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
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