- Do plan on going to the path of totality. A partial solar eclipse is cool. But a total solar eclipse is awesome! Join the millions of people who will never forget this experience.
- Do use general sun safety products.
- Sunscreen of 50 SPF or higher and a Solar Hat is recommended to protect your skin and head from the harsh effects of the Sun’s rays. Don’t ruin your day with a Sunburn.
- Do wear protective glasses.
- Only use approved “SUNsafe” eclipse glasses products which display the ISO 12312- 2 approval. These SUNglasses have been designed to fully protect your eyes from severe UV ray damage and are individually approved for quality and safety.
- Only use Solar Telescopes and Filters from well established companies that test each product on the Sun to assure 100% quality and safety.
- Unsafe filters include; color film, some non-silver black and white film, medical x-ray films with or without images on them, smoked glass, small Solar Filters designed to thread into eyepieces, which are often sold with inexpensive telescopes, can also be dangerous. ALWAYS avoid using eye protection products from unknown sources.
- Do buy your protective eye equipment early.
- Do know the stages of the Eclipse.
- Know the key moments of each phase and about how long each phase lasts in order to know when to safely view the totality of the eclipse.
- Do remove your glasses during the phase of totality. (This is the ONLY time you can remove your glasses).
- With these preparations in mind, it is important to remember the rarity and the beauty of the Total Eclipse. If this is your first Eclipse, allow yourself to enjoy the Eclipse and not fuss too much over external preparation factors. It is much better to simply view and experience the eclipse than it is to try and video record the event to view later.
- Do not use cheap counterfeit products. The harmful effects of the Sun’s UV rays as a result of using improper equipment may not be felt until hours afterwards.
- Do not use ANY damaged or broken Solar Equipment. Check your Eclipse products prior to every use.
- Do not look directly at the sun’s rays at any time during any partial phase of the Eclipse. It is never safe to look directly at the sun’s rays. Doing so can cause serious and irreversible eye damage.
- It is not safe to view Bailey’s Beads or the Diamond Ring without proper protection.
- Do not wait to purchase your SUNsafe viewing equipment. Purchase your SUNglasses, SUNoculars, or Solar viewing equipment ahead of time to avoid the risk of it selling out or being back ordered.
- Don’t wait until the day of the event to familiarize yourself with the use of your viewing equipment. By buying in advance you have time to make adjustments and know what to expect.
- Do not forget to bring recording materials such as a journal, sketchbook, thermometer, compass, etc to ensure you get the most out of this experience!
- Do not look at the sun before it is eclipsed or at a partially eclipsed Sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical devices.
- Do not use an optical device without a filter to photograph/record the eclipse. The sun’s rays could damage your device. However, It is safe to photograph the Sun during Totality without a filter. This is a great way to photograph the Corona. Remember to replace the filter after Totality.
- Do not use an unfiltered standard Binocular or Telescope while wearing your Eclipse glasses. The concentrated rays may damage the Eclipse glasses. Eclipse glasses are only safe for direct viewing of the Sun.
- Do not leave your solar equipment unattended. Unattended equipment can be tampered with.
- Do not assume a partial eclipse will be “good enough”. There is nothing like a total eclipse. If you can find a way to get to the path of totality, you should go!
How to tell if your Eclipse Glasses are safe
The Safety of Your Eyes is the golden rule that we live by at Lunt Solar. We have been in the business of selling Solar observing equipment for 25 years. We are the world’s leading provider of Solar observing equipment.
We have partnered with many organizations including NASA and National Geographic to provide our equipment, services and expertise to Sun events.
We will be partnering with NASA again in 2023 and 2024 to provide Solar Imaging and Observing Equipment for the “Ring of Fire Eclipse,” and the “Great American Total Solar Eclipse.”
Eclipse Glasses will be required to observe any and all partial phases of the Eclipse. People in the path of Totality will be able to remove their Eclipse Glasses for the few minutes when the Moon completely obscures 100% of the Sun. Eclipse Glasses will be required when ANY part of the SUN is visible.
If you have purchased your Eclipse Glasses from the Lunt Website, from the Lunt listings on Amazon, or from an Authorized Lunt Dealer, you can be assured that your Eclipse Glasses are 100% guaranteed to protect you from harm.
Lunt Eclipse Glasses also have all the marking required by the ISO for: Directions for Use, Safety Instructions, and Manufacturer Information.
Lunt is listed on both the NASA and American Astronomy Society as “Reputable Vendors of Solar Eclipse Glasses and Viewers.”
Warning: Beware of Fakes!
The marketplace will be flooded with counterfeit Eclipse Glasses that will print all the required information on the glasses and may even copy the artwork for the glasses themselves. These counterfeit Eclipse Glasses will have all the appearance of being genuine, but they will lack the critical SAFETY requirement needed to be assured that you are protecting your eyes from harm.
Do NOT buy counterfeit glasses from Cheap, Unreliable sources. Do NOT share, give. or sell counterfeit Eclipse Glasses to others.
ISO 12312-2: Eclipse Glasses that meet this standard are certified to not only reduce the intense brightness of the Sun’s VISIBLE light to a comfortable level for continuous viewing, but are also tested and certified to remove 100% of the INVISIBLE UV (Ultraviolet) and IR (InfraRed) radiation. This radiation may not be felt during viewing. But continuous viewing of the Sun with Eclipse Glasses that do not fully block UV and IR can lead to severe discomfort due to Sunburn of the retina, permanent eye damage, and even blindness.
The ISO testing is done at specialized labs that have the equipment (Spectrophotometer) to test the optical qualities of the film. The instrument has UV, Visible, and IR light sources that shine through the film. A sensor is able to determine what light is transmitted by the film and at what level. The film’s transmission curve from Deep UV to Far IR needs to fall within a narrow tolerance of an acceptable line. Film that falls within the acceptable tolerance passes the test and can be certified as ISO 12312-2 for direct and continuous viewing of the Sun. Products that pass the ISO testing process can display the ISO logo on their products.
Lunt has a Spectrophotometer. However, we have our ISO testing done at a USA independent lab that specializes in ISO compliance.
WARNING: Anyone can simply copy and paste a logo.
When buying Eclipse Glasses we strongly suggest that you use a reputable manufacturer and buy from a source that has a history of selling Sun Observation related equipment.
Eclipse Glasses are SAFETY EQUIPMENT. They are not a toy. They should not be purchased from pop-up merchants and novelty sellers on ie: ebay.
What you should see when looking through Eclipse Glasses
You should only be able to see the Sun. You may be able to see the reflection of the Sun off a window or off the water. You should be able to see the filament of an incandescent clear light bulb of fairly high wattage (although quite dim).
The image of the Sun should appear comfortable and sharp with a dark background. The Sun should not appear fuzzy and the background should not be hazy or milky.
The view should not be uncomfortably bright or cause you to squint.
NOTE: The ISO testing process does not test the optical quality of the film for the purpose of a clear image. Only the transmission of light through the film.
It is our experience that not all certified film is created equal. Lunt uses an Optical Quality (Image Quality) film that provides a clear and pleasant view of the Sun.
When shopping around to buy Eclipse Glasses we advise that you verify the following:
- Is the seller on the “Reputable Vendor Page” as listed by NASA and the AAS?
- Is the seller listed by a reputable seller as an authorized reseller?
- Does the seller display a clear copy of their ISO test results on their website or shop?
- Does the ISO test certificate name the seller?
- Does the seller show images of the actual product you will receive?
- Does the seller show images of the front and back of the Eclipse Glasses?
- Does the Seller list contact information that is easy to use?
We highly recommend that you buy your Eclipse Glasses early. Prices for Eclipse products will increase significantly as we get closer to the events. This is due to demand and the increased costs of producing the product, the massive increase in labor, and the expedited shipping costs between our manufacturing facility and shops.
As the prices go up, the incentive for fraudulent products to enter the market will also increase.
Getting Eclipse Glasses early will allow you to test them. And who knows, as the Sun enters Solar Maximum you may be able to see some SunSpots on the Sun due to the increased activity.
Lunt SunOculars
Lunt SunOculars use the same ISO certified film as the Eclipse Glasses. The same film is also used in front mounted White Light Filters for Telescopes. Lunt is the only manufacturer of SunOculars. You can buy SunOculars directly from the Lunt Store, from our Amazon Store, or from one of our authorized dealers.