Jason Lewin said eclipse glasses are already headed toward a shortage before the Aug. 12 solar eclipse, even as people across Europe and North America prepare for a partial view. He said certified products will be needed for safe viewing, and that demand can move faster than supply.
“The August 12th eclipse in Europe is tracking toward a very predictable crisis: a big shortage of certified eclipse glasses,” Lewin said in an email. “Having manufactured and supplied hundreds of millions of glasses for the historic 2017 and 2024 U.S. eclipses, we know firsthand how quickly demand overwhelms supply.”
Aug. 12 solar eclipse path
The solar eclipse will be visible on Wednesday, Aug. 12, across the Western Hemisphere. Most of Europe and all of Canada and the northeast United States will get a glimpse, while totality is limited to Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
That leaves many viewers in Europe and North America with only a partial eclipse. St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador will see 53% of the sun covered, followed by Halifax at 31%, Saint John at 28%, Québec City at 24%, Boston at 16% and New York at 10%.
Certified eclipse glasses search
For anyone planning to look up, eclipse glasses or front-mounted solar filters are essential at all times. They are available widely online and in local stores and cost about $3 each, but buyers are being told to check that the company or brand appears on the American Astronomical Society’s list of Suppliers of Safe Solar Filters & Viewers and that the product complies with ISO 12312-2.
Major manufacturers in the U.S. include American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, Rainbow Symphony and DayStar Filters. In Europe, the manufacturers listed include Absolute Eclipse and Baader Planetarium.
April 8, 2024 lessons
Lewin’s warning follows the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse, when more than 75 million eclipse glasses were sold in the U.S. About 71% were sold in the final 30 days before that event, which is the buying pattern behind the expected crunch now.
Old glasses from the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse can be reused if they are not damaged by punctures or tears. NASA does not approve eclipse glasses, so buyers are being steered toward certified products rather than a brand name alone.
American Paper Optics said NASA’s Artemis II crew wore its solar eclipse glasses during the mission around the moon in April 2026. For readers planning ahead, the practical step is simple: buy certified eclipse glasses or a front-mounted solar filter before Aug. 12, and check old glasses for damage before reusing them.
