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Comment by neogodless | Hacker News Reader

I would just be happy to know how (where) to get solar eclipse glasses. I had a thought a couple months ago to order them, but I brushed it aside. About two weeks ago, I started to get serious, but it was already too late. I couldn't find anything that wasn't wildly marked up on Amazon. Finally, I found a set of 4 on REI.com with estimated delivery of August 18th, and I ordered them on the 10th. They were shipped on the 15th, five days later, with an estimated delivery of August 22nd... and a day later, that estimate has been pushed back yet another day by UPS. So I'll get them, and then have to figure out how to time travel to get any use out of them.

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If you are in the path of totality, don't worry about the glasses. In the path of totality, eclipse glasses are only for observing the sun before and after full occlusion. Instead, make a pinhole projector. It's super easy (any thin-walled cardboard box will do).

Then, when you are at full occlusion, you can look directly at the sun to observe the eclipse until full occlusion is over.

My local Ace hardware will be getting glasses in tomorrow, supposedly. Plan B is this improvement on the pinhole projector: http://richardsont.people.cofc.edu/safe_solar_folder/index.h...

Yeah, it's a little late, but not all hope is lost.

The AAS page lists the gear that meets the ISO safety standard, along with the vendors that carry it:

https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters

I prefer the Baader solar film (for telescopes and cameras) or its newer "gold/silver" version (for goggles) because it's color neutral and it shows the Sun in its true color, not some arbitrary shade of orange, green, etc.

But any ISO-compliant filter should be fine.

Do you know any welders? Are there welding supply shops near you? Welding glasses #14 are ISO-compliant for the purpose of the eclipse. Even #13 are fine for non-continuous observation.

As discussed on another thread, one of the NASA guides says

> One of the most widely available filters for safe solar viewing is a number 14 welder's glass, available through welding supply outlets.

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety.html

While there's probably also huge demand for welding goggles right now, a majority of people shopping for eclipse viewing gear might not know that (some) welding eyewear would be safe for eclipse viewing. (It would be a good idea to ask an expert before using arbitrary welding gear to view the sun, in case different kinds of welding goggles block different parts of the spectrum to different extents.)

Potentially unsafe, but it can work:

Buy welding googles like these: ($5.29) https://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-welding-goggles-set-35...

And combine that with a real pressed CD. NOT a recordable CD!! It must be a real, aluminum colored, CD! (And one without a label.)

I did this to look at the transit of venus over the sun a while back. Worked fine, but my viewing time was limited.

However I must add that they advise against doing this, not because it's inherently unsafe, but because if you mess up (for example the CD has a scratch) you can hurt yourself, so......

Those are #10 welding glasses, quite bright.

If you use #14 or even #13, there's no need to stack them with anything. They are sufficiently dark on their own. #14 are even ISO 12312-2 compliant for the purpose of eclipse viewing.

Here's the best information on related topics:

https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters

A good suggestion. I probably should've put more information in my original post. Hopefully I can find a hardware store that has Shade 14 goggles/glasses in stock (if I can't find otherwise suitable eye protection.) At least checking inventories online, local big box hardware stores are out of stock of these, too! Even the DIY welding lenses being sold standalone are OOS.

Check Warby Parker - their stores are giving away free pairs.

I paid two dollars for a pair at Fred meyers. I'd many places expecting increased sales in the path of totality will have some.

B&H Photo has them back in stock https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1354619-REG/lunt_sola...

There are still random places with the glasses too. I had a friend that recommended Lowes (when I got there they said they ran out over a month ago), but I stumbled onto some at Kroger for $2/ea this week.

Yup - my wife called our local Lowes and our local grocer chain, and they did not have any! I'm sure there's some... somewhere. But the problem is that I don't know where that "somewhere" is, and we've contacted over a dozen places with no success.

Both of my local universities still have glasses available. One is giving them away free and the other is charging $1 per.

See if you have a local planetarium/ observatory /science museum that is selling them or giving them away.

My wife called five libraries and about a dozen retail establishments yesterday. Nothing! It does sound like the only way to get them is to go to one of the science museums _early_ on the morning of and try to get in line before everyone else.

Are you near CA? I can still spare a pair or two, and I got them directly from one of the suppliers NASA had named. E-mail me ([HN user name] at x0.ms) your mailing address if you're interested.

Check Walmart. They have 6 packs for a dollar, and the one near me still had plenty.

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