Here's Where to Buy Solar Eclipse Glasses for April 8th

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ICYMI, there's a total solar eclipse planned to cross North America in just a few weeks, marking the first time since 2017 the celestial event has occurred in the area. And as many of us may remember from last year's "Ring of Fire" eclipse or 2017's total eclipse, you'll need special glasses to safely view this year's celestial event.

While you may think that any old glasses will do to protect your eyes during a solar eclipse, the best options have the international safety standard code of 12312-2 and are recommended by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). However, some phony retailers included fake labels on glasses in 2017, creating a flood of unsafe eclipse viewers on the market. We've rounded up some AAS-approved picks here.

Solar Eclipse Glasses, 6 Pack

Solar Eclipse Glasses, 5 Pack

Solar Eclipse Glasses, 10 Pack

Solar Eclipse Viewers, 6 Pairs

When is the total solar eclipse?

The Great North American Eclipse will take place on April 8th, 2024, starting at 11:07 a.m. PDT. While most areas of the U.S. will be able to see at least part of the eclipse, only some spots will be able to see the eclipse in totality, including cities in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

What is a total solar eclipse?

While a "Ring of Fire" eclipse happened last October, this total eclipse differs in that the sun will be completely covered because the moon is both a new moon and a super moon, aka the closest to Earth in its orbit. Also known as an annular eclipse, a "Ring of Fire" eclipse only sees the sun partially covered, leaving the blacked-out moon with an eerie ring of light around it, hence the name.

How do you safely view a total solar eclipse?

The safest way possible to view a total solar eclipse is with AAS-approved glasses. Regular sunglasses don't fall into the category of safe viewing as solar eclipse glasses are actually around 100,000 times darker than typical sunglasses. When wearing your eclipse glasses, you shouldn't be able to see much of anything other than the sun.

Why should you wear protective eyewear during an eclipse?

According to Dr. Russell N. Van Gelder, editor-in-chief of Ophthalmology magazine and professor of ophthalmology at University of Washington School of Medicine, likens not wearing protective eyewear during an eclipse to using a magnifying glass to try and burn leaves on a sunny day. Your retinas can suffer severe damage by viewing the sunlight for an extended period of time without protection. The worst part? Seeing as our eyes don't feel pain like the rest of our bodies, you likely won't know you've done damage until it's too late to stop it. And while Dr. Gelder says that some patients can recover from the damage, about half won't and will lose the central vision in their eye.

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