TEXAS, USA — The countdown is on for the total solar eclipse on April 8, and Central Texas is expected to be the perfect place to be!
As thousands of people will be making their way to Killeen, Waco, Temple and more to view the phenomenon, more people are wondering how they can watch the eclipse safely and if they can reuse old solar eclipse glasses.
THE QUESTION
Will old eclipse glasses still work for the new total solar eclipse coming on April 8, 2024?
OUR SOURCES
John Jerit, President of American Paper Optics, and Dr. Barbara Castanheira Endl, Assistant Professor of Physics for Baylor University.
THE ANSWER
Yes, you can use the glasses you have previously purchased as long as you have stored them properly and they aren't torn up or bent.
WHAT WE FOUND
Millions of people are coming to Texas for a front-row seat to the total solar eclipse.
"This is a big deal," Jerit said. "This is going to be easy to see, especially for you folks in Texas, Dallas, Waco, Fort Worth, Austin. You guys are so lucky."
Watching the eclipse does come with a risk. It could cause blindness or other visual impairments.
"The damage is permanent," Endl added.
That's why you must have the proper eyewear.
"It's important that you're using ISO-safe, certified eclipse glasses," Jerit said. "They block out 100% of the ultraviolet light and 99.9% of the intensive visible light."
6 News viewer Barbara Lewandowski in Woodway sent in a question about solar glasses.
"Our previous eclipse that we saw we had glasses," Lewandowski said. "Will those glasses still work for this new solar eclipse coming in April?"
Endl says the guidelines for reusing glasses can be confusing.
"Eclipse glasses have a shelf lifetime of 18 months, but this is not necessarily true all the time," Endl said.
Instead, here's a good rule of thumb.
"Make sure that your glasses are not bent," Endl said. "They can be safe to reuse, especially the ones that you had for the annular eclipse in October 2023. That's only if they are not bent, that should be fine."
Jerit produces millions of glasses for NASA and says if you decide to purchase new glasses, make sure you get them from a reputable company.
"There are a significant amount of counterfeit glasses that are coming over from China," Jerit said. "Some might be safe, some might be unsafe. Why take a chance? We're only talking about a few dollars here."
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