It’s not too late to order ISO-certified eclipse sunglasses in time for Monday

If you’re planning on viewing the rare, total solar eclipse when it passes over the U.S. on Monday, it’s not too late to pick up a pair of special eclipse-viewing glasses

On Monday, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, temporarily turning day into night for more than four minutes in many locations across the country. According to NASA, this will be the first time the U.S. has witnessed a full solar eclipse in two decades.

If you plan to view the celestial event, it’s important not to look directly at the eclipse during its partial phases, as doing so could severely damage your eyes.

In order to properly see the eclipse when it happens, you can purchase special eclipse-viewing glasses. You can still order some for cheap on Amazon and receive them in time for Monday.

If you’re planning on picking up a pair of the special specs, you must ensure that they are NASA-approved and carry the “ISO 12312-2” (sometimes written as “ISO 12312-2:2015”) code, usually written on the glasses themselves.

How do eclipse sunglasses work?

Unlike ordinary sunglasses, ISO 12312-2 approved pairs block out all but 0.003% of visible light; this means they protect your eyeballs from ultraviolet and infrared light.

Viewing the sun or partial eclipse directly can cause serious damage to your eyesight, in effect causing a retina burn that could leave you with a permanent blind spot.

Where can I buy ISO-approved eclipse sunglasses?

To save you time scrolling through Amazon, here are a few examples you can currently buy that are approved with the correct ISO numbers.

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