You need a special pair of glasses to watch the solar eclipse: How to get them in Columbus

Max Filby, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·2 min read
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From left, Ward Deberson, 8, teacher Park Johnston, and Emerson Rayo, 8, watch the solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017 at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Whetstone Branch in Columbus, Ohio. The three were with other teachers and students from the North Broadway Children's Center who all gathered at the library to watch the first solar eclipse visible from the United States since 1979.

Central Ohioans wanting to get a glimpse of the solar eclipse this year will need to wear a special pair of spectacles before they look up to the sky.

The eclipse, which is set for April 8, will be visible within and on the edges of a 124-mile band that will run through areas of Ohio for the first time in 200 years. The eclipse is expected be visible in the greater Columbus area around 3:15 p.m. that day.

But, Ohioans who want to see the eclipse should beware taking a gander at it with the naked eye, according to NASA. Looking directly at the sun could "instantly cause severe eye injury," the space agency has stated.

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To prepare, Ohioans will need to get their hands on an approved set of eclipse glasses.

NASA doesn't approve any specific spectacles for eclipse viewing. The agency does, however, recommend that eclipse watchers make sure their glasses meet the "SO 12312-2 international standard" for looking directly at the sun.

That can be tricky because in the weeks before previous solar eclipses, marketplaces were flooded by counterfeit glasses, according to the American Astronomical Society.

Luckily, the American Astronomical Society has put together a list of approved vendors for eclipse glasses and telescopes. Many local retail stores, including Kroger, Meijer, Walmart and more are expected to sell the glasses as the eclipse approaches.

Locally, the Columbus Metropolitan Library will be giving away free solar eclipse glasses beginning March 18.

The glasses will be available as long as supplies last at all 23 library locations. There will be a limit of four pairs of glasses per family and patrons are encouraged to call ahead by dialing 614-645-2275, according to the library system.

COSI in downtown Columbus is also selling packs of the solar eclipse glasses, according to the museum's website. Various bundles of glasses are available for sale at COSI starting at 30 pairs for $75 all the way up to 1,000 pairs for $2,500.

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here's how to get glasses to watch the upcoming solar eclipse on Ohio