The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is coming on Monday, April 8, and you can watch it if you have a pair of the best solar eclipse glasses on your face—a necessity for keeping your retinas from getting burned. It’s called photokeratitis, and it’s literally eyeball sunburn. Even in a partial eclipse—which is what most people in the U.S. will see on April 8th—those sun beams and UV rays are just as vicious as ever. Luckily, I just happen to have a pair of solar eclipse safety glasses I highly recommend.
Last year, still reeling from a layoff, I whisked my partner to Palm Springs for a romantic desert getaway, and our trip coincided with a partial solar eclipse. I bring this up not (only) to remind my beautiful girlfriend that I’m excellent boyfriend material, but because I—and she—can wholeheartedly vouch for the Soluna Solar Eclipse Glasses.
We didn’t get sunburned eyes! They work!
The Soluna protectors will let you safely view the sun as it’s blocked by the moon, and even snap a cheesy selfie in the process. They’re basically made out of paper (except for the super dark plastic lenses), and as a result, probably not going to last past a single viewing. Not necessarily because they’ll fall apart, but because you’ll have no idea where you put them after using them. Whatever. They’re $10 for two!
I bought a new pair to watch this year’s eclipse, which I’ll be doing from a town—Rochester, New York—that’s smack-dab in the “path of totality,” the spiritual-sounding term for the narrow swath of Earth that will, because of angles and math, witness a complete eclipse. The path cuts through 13 states, from Texas to Maine, and Rochester’s population is expected to double because of visiting eclipse chasers. As a former Rochester resident, I can confirm that this is a big moment. I can also confirm that it would be 100-percent on brand for the city if it’s too cloudy to see anything. But if it’s clear? Those Soluna Eclipse Glasses are gonna witness something magical.
Whether you end up in Rochester or not, it’s worth having a pair of solar eclipse glasses. Below are a few more options, because it never hurts to have options—but it does hurt to have sunburned retinas. All of these solar eclipse glasses, including the Soluna set that I’m using, meet NASA’s suggested ratings for staring directly at the sun. (More on that below.)
Where can I buy NASA-certified solar eclipse glasses?
You can’t, technically. You might see some websites tout NASA-certified safety glasses…but NASA says that it does not approve any specific brand of eyewear. However, NASA does advise eclipse watchers to look for ISO-certified glasses that meet ISO 12312-2 standards for direct observation of the sun. (That ISO marking should appear on the product itself, not just the product page or the packaging.) All of the glasses featured here meet that standard.
When is the 2024 total solar eclipse?
The upcoming total solar eclipse will take place on Monday, April 8, 2024. The start of the eclipse depends on your exact location, with a partial solar eclipse both preceding and following the main event as the moon moves across the path of the sun’s light. In most of Texas, the eclipse will begin at 12:23pm Central Time. In upstate New York cities like Rochester and Buffalo, it will begin at approximately 2:04pm Eastern Time. And in Maine, the eclipse will begin at 2:22pm ET.
Where can I see the 2024 solar eclipse?
To find out if your location is within the path of totality, check out the NASA Eclipse Explorer. You can see a map of the eclipse’s path over the United States and search by zip code. According to NASA, the total eclipse will pass through the following states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Unless you live in Hawaii or Alaska, you’ll be able to see at least some form of a partial eclipse.
