Eclipse glasses: Do I really need them?
North America will experience its first total solar eclipse in 99 years on Monday, but you’ll need to do a bit of planning to view this rare event safely.
BBC explains that a solar eclipse happens when the moon lines up between the sun and the earth, almost hiding the sun from the earth’s view.
While most of the sun’s harmful rays will be out of sight on Monday, the corona, the name for the outermost "crown" of light, will still be visible to the naked eye.
It may be tempting for stargazers to simply look up to watch the phenomenon with the naked eye, but scientists warn that this waning light is still dangerous.
Joel Schuman, chair of ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health, told Vox that the energy from the sun has the potential to burn holes in your eyes. This is because light entering the eye is focused, via a lens, toward the retina at the back of the eyeball.
The retina can handle indirect sunlight, but looking at the sun directly is like focusing the light through a magnifying glass.
So how do you view the solar eclipse safely?
1. Make sure you are wearing proper glasses — According to NASA, you should only be looking up if you’re wearing special-purpose solar filters. You’ll find plenty of suggestions online for homemade alternatives, but NASA warns that these aren’t nearly strong enough.
The American Astronomical Society has released a list of reputable vendors for solar filters and viewers, and Vox reported that the Space Science Institute is also distributing eclipse glasses to 4,800 libraries across America. Contact yours to find out if you can pick up a free pair.
NASA also suggests checking that the glasses you use aren’t damaged and that they’re compliant with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard.
Earlier this week Time reported that Amazon sent out a warning to its customers to ensure that their glasses aren’t fake. The online retailer said in a statement that it discovered companies selling fake eclipse glasses on it website and will be offering refunds to those who bought them. Sellers will now have to provide verification documents before being allowed to sell such glasses on the site.
2. The only safe alternative to glasses — If all else fails, the safest way to view the solar eclipse without glasses is through a pinhole projection.
This means directing sunlight through a small opening, like a pinhole, and projecting the image on a surface. CNET has put together a handy tutorial, in which it suggests using just two pieces of paper.
Prick a small hole in the one, and watch the light transferred to the other on the ground.
3. But whatever you do, don’t look up — Lou Tomososki, 70, is still paying the price after trying to watch a partial eclipse without eye protection in 1962.
"It's not worth taking the chance," he told "Today."
Tomososki was just a boy when he looked directly at the sun, but now he has a permanent blind spot in his right eye.
He shared his experience out of fear that others would be tempted to do the same.
“Millions of people out there are going to be looking out at it . . . How many of them are going to say, ‘Something happened to my eyes?’” he said. “That makes me sick.”
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.