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Today ( April 8) , the lunar month will completely occlude the sunshine ’s saucer , plunging parts of 15 U.S. states along the eclipse’spath of totalityinto eerie darkness during the daytime . Meanwhile , watcher across the integral contiguous U.S. will be able-bodied to see a partialsolar eclipse .

To view the partial phases of the eclipse , no matter where you are , you need to expend protective eyewear such as solar occultation glass . Failure to do so could leave in permanent oculus damage , according to NASA .

Students from Muchin College Prep react as the solar eclipse emerges from behind clouds in Millennium Park in Chicago on Aug. 21, 2017

To safely look at the sun during an eclipse, you need special glasses. Here’s where you can find them last minute.

If you still need a brace ofcertified solar eclipse glassesbefore the orgasm of the total solar eclipse in North America today , you may not be out of circumstances yet .

Where can I buy solar eclipse glasses in person today?

There are many local businesses that may still have solar glasses in stock today .

TheAmerican Astronomical Society(AAS ) — the agency responsible for attest that solar eclipse glasses meet safety regulations — has a list of stores that trade certified eclipse glasses . Try calling a store near you to see if any glass are in stock . Participating stores include :

To help stave off counterfeit glasses and scam today , ensure your eclipse glass include an ISO logotype on them to show they meet the outside safety standardISO 12312 - 2 . Check your glasses for any scrapes or tide rip on the lenses , and try them out using a bright lamp at dwelling before using them to front instantly at the sun . You should only be able to see the dimmest jot of lighting from your lightbulb .

group of friends using solar eclipse glasses

While it ’s in all probability too late to range a twain online , many brick - and - mortar businesses may still have eclipse meth in lineage today . In improver , hundreds of libraries and universities across the state have been doling out free pairs of spectacles for the last several weeks and may still be able to hook you up .

April 8 solar eclipse : What time does totality commence in every land ?

Here ’s everything you need to know about regain license solar eclipse glasses before the self-aggrandizing result this afternoon .

A photograph of a partial solar eclipse seen from El Salvador

Where can I get free solar eclipse glasses near me?

If snagging a pair of free solar eclipse glasses is your goal , you may be out of hazard this time .

Many libraries , universities and certain businesses have been offering detached pairs of eclipse deoxyephedrine for several months now ; whether or not they still have any supplies in ancestry will depend completely on your location and how close to the path of sum you are .

Try calling your local subroutine library offshoot or university right off to see if they still have any ice in stock . Check out thismap of participate librariesfor more info .

a partial solar eclipse

Meanwhile , Warby Parkerhas been offering free eclipse glasses in stores since April 1 .

If you are attending a solar eclipse viewing party today , they may have free pairs of glasses in stock . Check your local itemisation for view events near you .

Do I need solar eclipse glasses?

Totality — the present moment when the sun is completely blocked by the synodic month — is the ONLY safe meter to see the eclipse with the raw eye . To do so , you MUST be within the course of entirety . ( These2024 occultation mapswill tell you if you are . )

— Solar eclipse 2024 : 8 things to find out for during totality

— What time does totality get going in every state ?

Medical King Solar Eclipse Glasses

— 10 eldritch things that happen during a solar eclipse

To view the partial phases of today ’s solar occultation , which last about 1 hr and 20 minutes before and after totality , you MUST wear protective eyewear — whether you are in the path of totality or not .

You do n’t necessarily need solar eclipse chicken feed to delight the fond eclipse . If you ca n’t come up a pair , you’re able to try indirectly viewing the eclipse by looking at shadows projected on the floor or wall by a pasta strainer or cullender ; making ahomemade occultation viewer ; or watching afree resilient stream . Here areseven secure ways to view the fond phases of the eclipsetoday .

a map showing the pathway of the March 29 solar eclipse across the globe

A kid is shown looking at the solar eclipse while wearing special protective glasses

a close-up image of a sunspot

A close up image of the sun�s surface with added magnetic field lines

A photograph of the northern lights over Iceland in 2020.

a close-up of the fiery surface of the sun

An illustration of a dark gray probe in front of a scorching sun.

Looped video footage of swirling solar wind shooting out of the sun with UFO-like lines moving across the screen

Fragment of a stone with relief carving in the ground

An illustration of microbiota in the gut

an illustration of DNA

images showing auroras on Jupiter

An image of the Eagle Nebula, a cluster of young stars.

a reconstruction of an early reptile