As explained by NASA, homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun as they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight. The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers.
Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality.
Refer to the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers page for a list of manufacturers and authorized dealers of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers verified to be compliant with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for such products.
Find out Where to Find Eclipse Glasses at the Last Minute at Consumer Reports.
People in 14 states will experience a couple of minutes of midnight today during a total solar eclipse.
Unfortunately, Maryland is not one of them.
If you are not among the thousands of Americans who planned their summer vacations somewhere along the path of the first coast-to-coast solar eclipse in nearly a century, then you’re probably wondering where to find the optimum experience close to home. Check it out at The Baltimore Sun.