DALLAS — The total solar eclipse is coming April 8 and the time to get your eye protection in place is now. Special eclipse glasses are extremely important to keep your eyes safe during the celestial spectacle.
“Looking at the solar eclipse, you can do damage in as short a time as 60 to 100 seconds. The real problem is the retina doesn’t have pain receptors so you really don’t know you’re doing damage at the time,” said Dr. Amanda Hoelscher, an optometrist at Key-Whitman Eye Center.
The American Astronomical Society created this list of certified retailers, many with locations in North Texas. Retail chains such as Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart are reliable places to buy glasses in person. Plus, Dallas Public Libraries, Sonic, Klyde Warren Park, the University of Texas at Arlington’s planetarium, ad other local viewing events are giving away free glasses.
Dr. Hoelscher said she worries some in the community won't take the safety guidelines seriously.
“About kids and people thinking it’s funny, oh I stared at the sun during the eclipse. It’s actually something very serious and you could do irreversible damage," she said.
Be sure your glasses comply with the ISO 12312-2 International Safety Standard and come from a reputable vendor to avoid counterfeits.
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science has given away a million pairs of solar eclipse glasses to multiple school districts in the area. The Dallas Public Library is also offering free solar eclipse glasses now.
“We wanted to hit every age group so, in addition to providing free solar eclipse glasses to everybody, we also have after-school and weekend programs happening now until the day of the eclipse as well as an online program, which is a reading challenge," said Mae Neal, a librarian at Dallas Public Library.
No matter where you watch the eclipse or who you watch it with, Dr. Hoelscher urges everyone to protect their vision.
“I think we should enjoy the moment. They don’t come around very often. Take safety precautions but, what a moment,” said Dr. Hoelscher.
According to NASA, an estimated 31.6 million people live in the path of totality this year, compared to 12 million in the path of the 2017 eclipse. Totality in April's eclipse will also last longer than it did in 2017.
WFAA put together a list of the eclipse watch parties across North Texas and can be found here.