If you are planning on viewing the eclipse, your eyesight depends on you buying the proper eyewear.
PUBLISHED Mar. 21 2024, 2:16 p.m. ET
A solar eclipse is set for April 8, 2024, and you don’t want to look at it with the wrong spectacles. During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the earth and the sun, making the sun appear as just a black circle glowing from behind. This major astronomical event brings everyone’s eyes toward the sky, and although the sun may look covered, its rays are still very powerful, and we cannot look at them directly.
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Where can you get solar eclipse glasses?
Many online retailers sell reliable solar eclipse glasses, but you want to ensure they are the real deal because wearing fake glasses could damage your eyesight. Luckily, most eclipse glasses are fairly cheap, ranging from five to ten dollars or less per Slate.
You can find solar eclipse glasses, as well as other eclipse accessories at American Paper Optics. According to their website, all their eclipse glasses are ISO-certified and tested, made in the United States, and used by NASA for eclipse viewing.
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Another website, National Eclipse, sells ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses and other accessories, such as hand-held eclipse viewers, books, phone filters, and T-shirts. A similar website, Great American Eclipse, also sells ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses, card eclipse viewers, and even eclipse binoculars.
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You can also find glasses at large online retail sites. Amazon sells this pack of four eclipse glasses for $11.95, which includes an eclipse viewing guide. At B&H Photo, you can buy a four-pack for $8.99 or even a pack of 20 for $29.99. For the more serious eclipse viewers, Best Buy sells plastic eclipse glasses instead of regular paper ones, plus binoculars and telescopes.
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Where can you find solar eclipse glasses for free?
Most eclipse glasses are inexpensive, but you may still wonder if there is a way to get them for free. Although eclipse glasses can start cheap, the closer we are to the eclipse date, the more likely they will sell out, which can cause a spike in the remaining ones.
According to Forbes, the Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL) is giving out five million solar eclipse glasses for free. Check this map to find out if your library is participating.
