The countdown to totality has begun: There will be a total solar eclipse on April 8, visible across a stretch of North America.
If you plan to view it, eye safety should be top of mind. Warby Parker, the popular prescription glasses shop, is making it a little easier by offering free solar eclipse glasses at its stores, starting April 1 and until supplies run out. They’ll be limited to two per family.
In an FAQ on its website, Warby Parker says the glasses it’s giving away were manufactured by American Paper Optics, which is listed on the American Astronomical Society’s preapproved list of sellers that make legitimate (i.e. safe) eclipse glasses.
While waiting until April 1 to find solar eclipse glasses is a bit of a gamble (especially if you plan to travel to view the eclipse), this deal from Warby Parker will provide a safety net for people with a Warby Parker shop in their neighborhood. To find a location near you, use this store-locator map and plug in your ZIP code.
Another good option for finding free solar eclipse glasses (potentially before April, too) is to visit your local library to see if it’s offering any. The AAS even has a map of libraries offering certified glasses.
If you get to a Warby Parker store in April and it’s already run out of eclipse glasses, the company says it also has pinhole projectors on hand. Wherever you get your glasses, but especially if you buy them from a source that hasn’t been vetted specifically by the AAS, it’s a good idea to give them a test run before the big event. To help you figure it out, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says that while looking through them, no light of “ordinary brightness” should be visible through your eclipse glasses or solar viewer; only the sun or sunlight that’s reflected somewhere.
For more on solar eclipse eye safety and where to find glasses ahead of time, here’s what an optometrist would like you to know. Also, read more about the path of totality and what to expect this April.
