WASHINGTON — With less than four weeks until a solar eclipse darkens a large portion of North America, it's important to be prepared to view the celestial event safely.
Special eclipse glasses are extremely important to keeping your eyes safe during the solar eclipse. The only time it is safe to look directly at the eclipse with the naked eye is during totality - if you're located within the path of totality. Before and after, certified eclipse glasses should be worn to avoid eye damage.
Cameras, binoculars and telescopes must be outfitted with special solar filters for safe viewing.
Here is more information on where you can purchase trusted solar eclipse glasses and what to look for.
Where can you buy solar eclipse glasses?
The American Astronomical Society Solar Eclipse Task Force vetted sellers and compiled a list of trusted manufacturers and suppliers of eclipse glasses here.
Grocery stores and office supply chains like Staples may carry eclipse glasses in your area.
If you already have solar viewers that aren't on the list, don't panic. The AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force says it's simply impossible to vet every manufacturer, and most of the time these products end up being safe.
“What some people are calling ‘fake’ eclipse glasses appear to be products being promoted with misleading claims, printed with information copied from other manufacturers’ viewers, or otherwise suspicious,” said Rick Fienberg, project manager of the task force. “But that doesn’t mean they’re dangerous.”
The AAS said one warning sign to watch out for is if your eclipse glasses vendor claims they're certified by NASA. The space agency has confirmed they don't certify or endorse any products. Instead, NASA links to the AAS list of suppliers for eclipse glasses.
The group also noted that when searching on online marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, eBay or Temu, it does not recommend automatically buying from the seller offering the lowest price. Buyers should do their research and identify the seller and check to see if it's a trusted source before buying any solar viewer on an online retail marketplace.
When it comes to buying safe solar eclipse glasses, sooner is better. As the eclipse approaches, legitimate vendors are more likely to sell out.
When is the solar eclipse?
On April 8, the total solar eclipse's path will stretch from Texas to Maine, passing through 15 states.
According to NASA, an estimated 31.6 million people live in the path of totality this year, compared to 12 million in the path of the 2017 eclipse. Totality in April's eclipse will also last longer than it did in 2017.