For a good look at the solar eclipse that will darken the afternoon skies on Monday, Aug. 21, you’ll need a pair of NASA-approved safety glasses to protect your eyes. Viewing the rare event without protection can cause blindness.
The increasingly hard-to-find eyewear is on sale in limited quantities at the UWM Planetarium, 1900 E. Kenwood Blvd. It’s being offered in conjunction with the Planetarium’s show, “The Sun’s Disappearing Act,” which begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 17 and 18. Sales of the glasses, which cost $2 apiece, begin at 6 p.m. each night. Tickets for the shows are $5 and available in advance at this website.
Using common dark sunglasses to watch an eclipse will not protect your vision, says UWM Planetarium Director Jean Creighton. The correct safety glasses bear the “ISO” label, which stands for International Standards Organization.
UWM is hosting a NASA-sanctioned viewing and picnic event the day of the eclipse from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with telescopes and safety eyewear available. It will be held outside the planetarium on the west end of the lawn at the corner of Kenwood Boulevard and Maryland Avenue.
