Where to get solar eclipse glasses in metro Phoenix for Saturday's eclipse

Michael Salerno, Arizona Republic
·3 min read

An annular solar eclipse will occur on Saturday, Oct. 14, when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun but doesn't completely cover the sun's disk. It's called the "Ring of Fire" eclipse because the sun appears to show a bright, fiery ring during the eclipse.

You'll need solar eclipse glasses to safely view the spectacle. Fear not: You can still find them.

Stores throughout metro Phoenix have solar eclipse glasses available for sale. Libraries and local eclipse-viewing parties have the glasses as well.

You need these special solar eclipse glasses that are certified ISO 12312-2 compliant because their black polymer lenses block infrared and ultraviolet light, allowing for safe viewing of the sun. Viewing the eclipse without protection can cause eye damage, according to NASA.

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Where to buy solar eclipse glasses in Phoenix

When you buy eclipse viewing glasses, make sure they are from a manufacturer approved by the American Astronomical Society. Glasses made by these suppliers can be purchased at Walmart, Lowe's and Home Depot, according to the society.

Safeway, Fry's and Circle K stores are also selling glasses. But some locations may be sold out.

How much do solar eclipse glasses cost?

The price of solar eclipse glasses varies depending on the store and the manufacturer. Walmart's website advertises a set of five glasses from VisiSolar for $10.73, meaning each pair would have a unit cost of about $2.15. Lowe's advertises glasses from American Paper Optics for $2.48 per pair, with availability at multiple metro Phoenix locations.

Where to get solar eclipse glasses for free

The Space Science Institute distributed 5 million solar eclipse viewing glasses to 10,000 libraries in the U.S. Libraries offer these to prepare their patrons for the eclipse, and some libraries also hold viewing events where glasses are available.

The institute's list of libraries giving away eclipse glasses includes 13 in metro Phoenix:

  • Phoenix Public Library, which has solar eclipse events at five of its branches.

  • GateWay Community College Library.

  • Tempe Public Library.

  • Mesa Public Library.

  • Chandler Public Library.

  • Apache Junction Public Library.

  • Fort McDowell Tribal Library.

  • Ed Robson Library in Sun Lakes.

  • Northwest Regional Library in Surprise.

  • White Tank Library in Waddell.

  • Litchfield Park Library.

  • Peoria Public Library.

  • Heroes Regional Park Library in Glendale.

The Arizona Science Center has a free eclipse viewing event as well, starting at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14. The event will include free eclipse glasses.

What if I can't find solar eclipse glasses?

If you don't have eclipse glasses, you can view the eclipse using a solar filter on a telescope, binoculars or camera.

You can also build your own solar eclipse projector using a cardboard box, a white sheet of paper, tape, scissors and aluminum foil, NASA stated.

Sunlight will enter a pinhole punched into aluminum foil and taped over a hole in one side of the box, projecting the sun onto the sheet of paper taped to the inside of the box during an eclipse. You can view it by looking into the box through another hole cut into the box. (Don't look at the sun through the pinhole.)

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Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Where to buy solar eclipse glasses in Phoenix