How to Safely View an Eclipse

Come get your free eclipse viewing glasses at the library to be prepared for the total eclipse on August 21. The eclipse will be an awesome sight to behold. It can also be a time of severe eye injury if the proper viewing equipment isn’t used. This is some of the information printed on the back of the library’s eclipse glasses

• Make sure your viewing glasses are from a reputable manufacturer. (The library’s glasses are made by Rainbow Symphony in California.) You can also check the ISO number (should be 12312-2), but be aware that anyone making fake glasses can put this number on them.
• Inspect your glasses before you use them. There should be no scratches or pinholes on the filters. Make sure the filters are not coming loose from the frames.
• It is fine to use the eclipse glasses on top of your regular glasses.
• Make sure you use the viewing glasses until the sun is completely eclipsed by the moon. During the full eclipse it is safe to remove your glasses and stare directly at the full eclipse, but as soon as only a minute sliver of the sun starts to appear again, put your eclipse glasses back on.
• Do not use your eclipse glasses to look through a camera lens, telescope, binocular, or other optical device. You need to use a different optical filter for these devices

Here at the library, (thanks to a grant from STAR Library Network – STEM Learning in Libraries) we have lots of eclipse glasses to give away, so there is no reason for not being prepared. If you will be in Sargent on August 21, the city plans to have a viewing party/picnic on the school football field starting at 11:30 a.m.  We hope to see you there.