Eclipse glasses?

[Mickeynutty]

Am I totally out of luck? I have an opportunity to go see it Monday but cannot find glasses anywhere. Is anyone finding them at this late date? I am in NC. TIA!

 

[low-key]

I still got a pair of x-ray glasses where you could see people nakid, wonder if they would help

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Am I totally out of luck? I have an opportunity to go see it Monday but cannot find glasses anywhere. Is anyone finding them at this late date? I am in NC. TIA!

You're probably out of luck. We didn't pick any up on our recent trip, thinking we had plenty of time. Yeah, that didn't work well. Can't find them anywhere.

 

[SMD]

If you're going to an event, they might be selling them there. The last time I went to an eclipse, I shared with people. I'll probably do the same this time too.

 

[Colleen27]

They're getting pretty tough to find, though I've been hearing it is somewhat easier in places that are expecting an eclipse-related influx of travelers. A lot of the chain stores that the national news are saying have them never got them in around here or only got very small quantities (dozens rather than hundreds or thousands). I guess they didn't expect much demand for 75% of totality.

 

[brooke789]

Everywhere is out! We're in SC. Each organization is giving them out (on a very limited basis) for their own events. For us, our library is giving them out to the first 500, local university to the first 50,000 and local community event to the first 5000. Well, they're saying the roads are going to be like a hurricane evacuation so we're not going to any of those events. Lucklily, my husband was able to get us 4 pairs (enough for me and kids) to use on Monday. Then today, I was surprised to find that the kids were sent home from school with their glasses. (We were offered an early release on Monday or excused absence...we went with the excused absence...so I guess everyone not actually at school had their glasses sent home early).

I'm on a group for my town and people are selling the cheap paper glasses $10 and up b/c people are so desperate!

 

[Shanti]

On Wednesday I paid about $150 for a pack of 25 eclipse glasses from American Paper Optics (one of the genuinely good suppliers) to be sent to me via 1-day shipping. I just checked their website & they don't seem to be selling them anymore. I won't even be watching the eclipse, but I want my son to have the glasses for the viewing at his school. The pack of 25 was the cheapest I could get, so I donated most of them to my son's class & teacher, and gave the others to a family I know & to my boyfriend. Prior to buying those online, I had called around locally & couldn't find any store that still had them (& we don't even live in the eclipse's direct path). So I was careful to give them all away, to avoid the waste of such a sought-after item.

If you can't get the glasses, look up online how to make a pinhole camera, and watch the eclipse that way. If you'll be in the direct path of the eclipse, imo the coolest part will be the sky darkening midday. You can experience that without looking at the sun.

 

[Mirielle]

In NC also and I hear they're GONE!

 

[asta]

I live in Middle Tennessee so my suggestions may not be good for your area. I have been following the hunt from people posting on our neighborhood message site. The latest places where people are finding them are several Ace Hardware stores and at the local Army/Navy surplus store. You might look at these stores if there are any in your area.

 

[dotfurio]

NASA eclipse website said a shade 14 welding lens would work.

 

[Colleen27]

NASA eclipse website said a shade 14 welding lens would work.

That's hard to find off the shelf, though. DS19 is a welder (longtime hobbyist, going to community college for his certification) so I've bought more than my share of supplies. The dark lenses sold at hardware stores, Lowes, Menards, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, etc. are shade 10. That's good enough for most types of welder, so it tends to be the darkest most places stock. Around here, I only know of one place that stocks shade 14 and it is a dedicated welding supplier that caters to pros/industrial clients but is also open to the public.

That said, I'm sure plenty of us - myself included - watched eclipses in our youth through shade 10 glass. I remember using my grandfather's welding helmet to watch a partial eclipse, and at the time the news said that was a perfectly safe way to do it (I don't recall eclipse glasses being a thing then - if they were I'd almost certainly have had a pair because my mom was all about enabling my nerd side). I was really surprised this year by all the media coverage about welding glass not being dark enough for safe viewing.

 

[bcla]

On Wednesday I paid about $150 for a pack of 25 eclipse glasses from American Paper Optics (one of the genuinely good suppliers) to be sent to me via 1-day shipping. I just checked their website & they don't seem to be selling them anymore. I won't even be watching the eclipse, but I want my son to have the glasses for the viewing at his school. The pack of 25 was the cheapest I could get, so I donated most of them to my son's class & teacher, and gave the others to a family I know & to my boyfriend. Prior to buying those online, I had called around locally & couldn't find any store that still had them (& we don't even live in the eclipse's direct path). So I was careful to give them all away, to avoid the waste of such a sought-after item.

If you can't get the glasses, look up online how to make a pinhole camera, and watch the eclipse that way. If you'll be in the direct path of the eclipse, imo the coolest part will be the sky darkening midday. You can experience that without looking at the sun.

Just as a practical matter, if one isn't in the path of totality, glasses or welders glass is the only safe way to view the eclipse directly. Still - the total eclipse is going to last less then 3 minutes, but the partial eclipse will be around for hours. I suppose most people in the path of the total eclipse are going to be spending a good deal of time looking through eclipse glasses or welders glass.

I just got one pair and I got a while ago at a local science museum. It's my kid's first day at school, so I'm staying home since it's a minimum day. There are a few good places I could probably just drop a law chair and wait it out. I figure I might end up sharing it. There's no way I'm going to be staring for 2 hours straight.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I just bought some at BAM

 

[CarolAnn856]

I just bought some at BAM

What is BAM?

 

[Capang]

Make a pinhole viewr! It is a safe alternative to glasses. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/how-make-pinhole-projector-view-solar-eclipse NASA is making the at our local park with the kiddies and during the last eclipse in our area we made them as well. I'm not sure why everyone is hung up on the glasses. You really don't need them. Make the viewer then recycle it when finished. It is really a fun little craft and the way people have viewed eclipses for far longer than the glasses.

 

[Kellykins1218]

What is BAM?

Book store...Books-A-Million

 

[holden]

Our local Hallmark store had them for $4/ea.

 

[Procrastinate]

I am in the path of totality, so many odd places have them including restaurants, gas stations, and 7/11 in addition to the major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Lowes. I know people who were still buying them as of yesterday. Also many employers are handing them out. I know there is no great advice here, just keep your eyes and ears open this weekend because you may find them in an odd place you never thought to check.

 

[mjkacmom]

Bought them two days ago at our 7-11 in NJ, $8 each.

 

[bcla]

Bought them two days ago at our 7-11 in NJ, $8 each.

Just the paper frame kind? If so, at that price there's some serious price gouging going on. I do understand that the options for the week before the eclipse can be limited.