Where To Get Safe Eclipse Glasses For The Aug. 12 Solar Eclipse - Forbes

What the report says

Forbes reports that skywatchers preparing for the Wednesday, Aug. 12 solar eclipse should check their eye protection now, especially if they plan to view any partial phase in Europe or North America. The eclipse will be total only along a path crossing Greenland, Iceland and Spain, while much broader areas — including most of Europe, Canada and the northeastern United States — will see the moon cover part of the sun. Forbes notes that the partial eclipse will be deeper farther northeast in the U.S. and Canada, with St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador seeing just over half the sun obscured, compared with smaller coverage in cities such as Boston and New York.

The central safety advice is to use certified solar eclipse glasses or front-mounted solar filters whenever looking at the sun. Forbes says buyers should look for products from companies listed by the American Astronomical Society as suppliers meeting the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard, rather than relying on claims such as “NASA-approved,” because NASA does not certify eclipse glasses.

Forbes lists several major U.S. and European makers of safe eclipse viewers, including American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, Rainbow Symphony, DayStar Filters, Absolute Eclipse and Baader Planetarium. The article also says glasses saved from the April 2024 North American eclipse can be reused if they are not torn, punctured or otherwise damaged.

The report highlights concerns that parts of Europe may face shortages as demand rises near the event, a pattern seen before major North American eclipses. Forbes also describes a conservation-linked Canadian youth initiative, the Fin Whale Eclipse Project, which sells listed eclipse glasses and says part of net proceeds will support whale conservation through ORCA.