Here's where to buy legit solar eclipse glasses that'll arrive before Saturday's eclipse
If you missed the lunar eclipse earlier this month, the sky has another treat in store for certain parts of the U.S. this Saturday morning.
Starting around 6:30 to 7 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 29, the Northeast region of the country will be treated to a partial solar eclipse. Weather and cloud cover pending, the solar eclipse means parts of Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., New York, Maine, and Pennsylvania will be privy to watching the moon pass by the sun.
According to NASA charts, you'll need to travel outside the country to get the largest eclipse coverage. Halifax, Canada, will get 83 percent coverage and Nuuk, Greenland, is posed to get 87 percent. In the U.S., Portland, Maine, is in for the highest totality, reaching 64 percent at 6:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Before you look up when the moon passes directly over the sun, consider protecting your eyes. Your everyday sunglasses won't cut it, so it's important to prepare in advance by snagging specialized solar eclipse glasses. Unfortunately, like much of the internet, illegitimate options exist, and since we're talking about the same two eyes you'll have for your whole life, it's worth doing the research to be sure you're wearing certified and legitimate solar eclipse glasses.
Buying certified solar eclipse glasses is both super easy and also frustratingly hard. The American Astronomical Society has a comprehensive list of solar eclipse glasses that meet ISO 12312-2 international standard. The problem is the list is impressively long. But if you don't feel like sorting through the list to find options that are both certified and will arrive before Saturday, we did the leg work for you.
Below is a list of solar eclipse glasses available at Amazon that should show up before the solar eclipse on Saturday morning. All options here come from legitimate manufacturers listed on the American Astronomical Society's roundup.
Soluna Solar Eclipse Glasses (2 pack) — $6.96 at Amazon
Eclipse Glasses USA Eclipse Glasses (5 pack) — $9.99
$15(save $1.78) at AmazonKesseph Solar Eclipse Glasses (6 pack) — $9.99
$19.99(save $8) at AmazonCelestron EclipSmart Solar Shades Observing Kit (4 pack) — $12.95 at Amazon
Kesseph Solar Eclipse Imaging Enhancing Lens Filter (5 pack) — $12.95 at Amazon
Helioclipse Solar Eclipse Glasses (50 pack) — $32.97
$49.95(save $16.98) at Amazon
Lauren Allain is a freelance journalist covering deals at Mashable. She graduated from Western Washington University with a B.A. in journalism and holds an M.B.A from Webster Leiden. You can find more of her work online from publications including Reader’s Digest, U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Refined, and more. When she’s not writing, Lauren prefers to be outside hiking, bouldering, swimming, or searching for the perfect location for all three.
