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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Eclipse glasses and solar filters are not interchangeable. Wear certified eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer when you are looking at the Sun directly with unaided eyes. A camera, binoculars, or telescope needs a purpose-built solar filter mounted securely over the instrument’s front aperture. During a total solar eclipse, you may remove direct-view protection only for the short interval when the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright face; protection is required for every partial or annular phase.
The safest choice depends on what is between your eyes and the Sun. The guide below explains the difference, timing, selection checks, setup procedures, and failure modes using current guidance from NASA and the American Astronomical Society (AAS), accessed October 13, 2026.
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The essential difference: eyes versus optical equipment
Solar-viewing protection is designed for a specific optical path. Direct-view products—eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers—reduce the Sun’s brightness before it reaches unaided eyes. They are intended for a person looking straight toward the Sun without a camera, binoculars, telescope, or other magnifying optic.
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- TRUSTED BY MILLIONS - Soluna Glasses are made in the USA by NASA-approved manufacturer American Paper Optics, and are recognized as ISO-compliant by the American Astronomical Society. Join the millions of eclipse chasers that trusted Soluna Eclipse Glasses for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse.
- CE AND ISO CERTIFIED FOR DIRECT SUN VIEWING - Our eclipse glasses have been independently tested and verified by ICS Laboratories under the most current standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E) for filters for direct observation of the sun. You can watch the total solar eclipse with absolute confidence in your eye safety.
- OPTIMIZED DESIGN - Soluna Glasses feature scratch-resistant Silver Polymer lens material with an optical density of 5 or greater. Our glasses filter 100% of harmful ultra-violet, 100% of harmful infrared, and 99.999% of intense visible light, offering both unparalleled safety and comfort for the best viewing experience.
- A COMFORTABLE FIT - These certified eclipse glasses are designed for teens and adults, featuring convenient crease lines on both sides for an easy, secure fit.
- 2023 ANNULAR AND 2024 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES - On October 14th 2023, an annular eclipse (when the sun forms a ring around the moon) will cross the United States from Oregon to Texas. We will then experience a once-in-a-generation Total Solar Eclipse on April 8th 2024 - the only USA total eclipse until August 23rd, 2044. You will be amazed as the moon completely blocks the sun during Totality, which lasts but mere minutes. Soluna Glasses are what you need to safely view both of these eclipses.
Putting eclipse glasses over your eyes while looking through a camera, binoculars, or telescope does not make that setup safe. NASA warns that concentrated rays can burn through a direct-view filter. Conversely, a filter intended to cover an optical instrument is not a substitute for glasses when you are looking at the Sun with your own eyes.
Which protection is right for each eclipse situation?
| What you are doing | Protection to use | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Looking directly at a partial eclipse | Safe eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer | Every moment you look at the Sun; there is no safe naked-eye interval. |
| Looking directly at an annular eclipse | Safe eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer | Throughout the event, including the annular phase. The bright solar ring is never completely covered. |
| Looking directly at the partial phases of a total eclipse | Safe eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer | Before totality and after totality, whenever any bright photosphere is visible. |
| Looking directly during totality | No filter for the unaided eyes, but only while the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright face | Remove protection after totality begins and replace it before the bright face reappears. |
| Viewing through a camera, binoculars, or telescope | A special-purpose solar filter designed for that instrument and secured over its front aperture | Use it for every view through the optics, including a total eclipse’s partial phases. |
| No safe direct-view product available | Indirect projection, such as a pinhole projector | View the Sun’s projected image on a surface; never look through the pinhole or opening. |
What eclipse glasses and handheld viewers protect
Direct viewing with unaided eyes
Safe solar viewers are dramatically darker than ordinary sunglasses. NASA describes them as “thousands of times darker” and says they ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. That level of attenuation is intended for brief, direct views of the Sun, including the bright partial phases of an eclipse.
Glasses are worn over the eyes; a handheld viewer is held in front of the face. Both are direct-view devices, not optical-equipment filters. They should be used exactly as the maker instructs, without gaps that let ordinary sunlight enter around the viewing area.
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Why regular sunglasses fail
Dark appearance is not a safety rating. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, do not reduce the Sun’s visible and invisible radiation to eclipse-viewing levels. Stacking sunglasses, photographic filters, smoked glass, film, or other improvised materials is not a verified safety method.
How to verify a direct-view product
A package may print an ISO 12312-2 claim, but AAS says that statement alone does not establish that the product was actually tested or conforms to the standard. AAS’s Solar Eclipse Task Force maintains a current list of manufacturers and authorized resellers whose viewer products it has confirmed were tested by appropriately accredited laboratories. Check that list when buying and re-check it if inventory or suppliers have changed.
Do not assume that every marketplace listing using the words “eclipse glasses” is vetted. Match the product and seller to the current AAS list, keep the packaging or instructions, and follow any usage limits supplied with the viewer.
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- Solar eclipse glasses Approved 2024, Safe Solar Observation - These certified safe shades are designed for direct solar viewing. Our solar eclipse glasses are perfect for observing eclipses, sunspots, and planetary transits.
- Meets Industry Standards - Our CE and ISO certified safe shades for direct sun viewing are made while adhering to stringent safety and quality regulations set by the American Astronomical Society.
- A Comfy Fit - These certified sunglasses for eclipse are suitable for teens and adults. Featuring crease lines on both sides, these optical quality safe shades may be worn over prescription glasses.
- Filters Out Harmful Light - View eclipses safely with our paper glasses. Our solar viewers use solar safe filter technology, which helps shield your eyes from IR, UV, and 99.9999% of visible light.
- Excellent Value - Each pack contains 10 non-polarized solar eclipse glasses for viewing the sun. Share them with friends and loved ones so you can all enjoy viewing solar eclipses in complete safety.
Inspect before every use
Hold the glasses or viewer up to a light source before the eclipse. NASA advises discarding any unit that is torn, scratched, punctured, or otherwise damaged. A small defect can allow an unsafe amount of light through. Do not repair a damaged viewer with tape or by adding another layer of material; replace it.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsChildren need active supervision. Make sure they put the viewer over their eyes before looking toward the Sun and remove it only after turning away. A child should not be left to interpret eclipse timing or inspect a damaged viewer alone.
What an equipment solar filter protects
Front-aperture placement is mandatory
A solar filter for a camera, binoculars, or telescope is engineered to handle the energy entering that instrument. It must cover the full front aperture and be held securely so wind, movement, or an accidental touch cannot expose the optics. Check the fit from different angles before pointing at the Sun.
NASA’s warning is direct: “Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.” The danger includes a quick alignment check, not just a prolonged observation.
Never use an eyepiece-end solar filter
Some older telescope accessories were designed to screw onto the eyepiece at the back of the telescope. AAS and NASA warn against these filters. Sunlight can be concentrated inside the telescope before it reaches the small filter, causing it to crack or fail while the observer is looking through it. A filter must be on the Sun-facing end, not between the eyepiece and your eye.
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Optical filters follow different standards
ISO 12312-2 is the standard associated with direct-view solar glasses and viewers; AAS says it does not apply to solar filters for optical equipment. A filter for optics may be considered safe when it meets the relevant requirements for transmittance, uniformity, and material and surface quality, is mounted securely over the front, and is used according to the supplier’s instructions.
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- Solar eclipse glasses Approved 2024,Safe Solar Observation - These certified safe shades are designed for direct solar viewing. Our approved solar eclipse glasses are perfect for observing eclipses, sunspots, and planetary transits.
- Meets Industry Standards - Our CE and ISO certified safe shades for direct sun viewing are made while adhering to stringent safety and quality regulations set by the American Astronomical Society.
- A Comfy Fit - These certified sunglasses for eclipse are suitable for teens and adults. Featuring crease lines on both sides, these optical quality safe shades may be worn over prescription glasses.
- Filters Out Harmful Light - View eclipses safely with our paper glasses. Our solar viewers use solar safe filter technology, which helps shield your eyes from IR, UV, and 99.9999% of visible light.
- Excellent Value - Each pack contains 10 non-polarized solar eclipse glasses for viewing the sun. Share them with friends and loved ones so you can all enjoy viewing solar eclipses in complete safety.
Ask an astronomer or another qualified specialist for advice before using a solar filter with a telescope, binoculars, or a camera system. Confirm that the filter is designed for the exact aperture, attachment method, and optical configuration rather than relying on a generic description.
How to view each phase of an eclipse safely
Partial eclipse
- Inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer for tears, scratches, holes, or loose parts.
- Put the viewer over your eyes before turning toward the Sun.
- Look only through the intact viewing material; do not combine it with binoculars, a telescope, or a camera viewfinder.
- Turn away from the Sun before removing the viewer.
Keep the protection on for the entire time you are looking at a partial eclipse. A partial eclipse never reaches a point at which the Sun’s bright face is fully covered.
Annular eclipse
An annular eclipse leaves a bright ring of sunlight around the Moon. Because that ring remains visible, an annular event has no totality interval for naked-eye viewing. Use safe direct-view protection from first contact through last contact whenever you look at the Sun. Optical equipment also requires its front-mounted solar filter for every observation.
Total eclipse
- Use eclipse glasses or a handheld viewer during the entire partial phase before totality.
- Wait until the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright face. Only then is unaided naked-eye viewing safe.
- During totality, you may remove the direct-view protection to see the eclipsed Sun’s corona.
- Put the viewer back on before the bright face reappears. Do not wait for the first bright glint to become obvious; replace it as totality ends.
Totality is brief and location-dependent. If clouds, timing, or uncertainty makes you unsure whether the bright face is fully covered, keep the viewer on. The naked-eye exception applies only to the complete total phase, never to the surrounding partial phases.
Setting up a camera, binoculars, or telescope
- Identify the optical path. List every instrument you will use: camera lens, binoculars, spotting scope, or telescope. Each front aperture needs a filter designed for it.
- Obtain a specialist front filter. Verify the supplier’s instructions, the filter’s required diameter or mounting system, and any restrictions on the equipment.
- Attach it before aiming. Secure the filter over the Sun-facing opening. A friction fit, strap, or holder must be tight enough that it cannot be knocked loose.
- Inspect the filter and mount. Look for pinholes, cracks, delamination, loose retaining rings, or gaps around the aperture. Do not use a damaged filter.
- Block unfiltered paths. Remove or cover finder scopes and auxiliary optics that are not separately filtered. Never look through an unfiltered finder to center the Sun.
- Use the instrument only as instructed. Follow the filter maker’s focusing, exposure, and pointing directions. If the setup is unfamiliar, get advice from an astronomer before the eclipse.
Do not place eclipse glasses behind the camera lens or at the telescope eyepiece. Do not hold a handheld viewer in front of an optical instrument. Those arrangements leave concentrated sunlight inside the optics before it reaches the supposed protection.
If you do not have a safe viewer: indirect projection
Indirect projection lets you watch the Sun’s image without looking at the Sun. A simple pinhole projector uses a small opening in one piece of card to cast a round image onto another surface. Keep the Sun behind you, allow sunlight to pass through the opening, and watch the projected image on the card or a nearby surface.
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- CE AND ISO CERTIFIED FOR DIRECT SUN VIEWING - Our eclipse glasses have been independently tested and verified by ICS Laboratories under the most current standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E) for filters for direct observation of the sun. You can watch the total solar eclipse with absolute confidence in your eye safety.
- OPTIMIZED DESIGN - Soluna Glasses feature scratch-resistant Silver Polymer lens material with an optical density of 5 or greater. Our glasses filter 100% of harmful ultra-violet, 100% of harmful infrared, and 99.999% of intense visible light, offering both unparalleled safety and comfort for the best viewing experience.
- A COMFORTABLE FIT - These certified eclipse glasses are designed for teens and adults, featuring convenient crease lines on both sides for an easy, secure fit.
- 2026 EUROPEAN TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE - Don’t miss the once-in-a-generation European Total Solar Eclipse on August 12th, 2026. Gather your family, friends and Soluna Glasses and prepare to be amazed as the moon passes in front of the sun, completely blocking it from view during Totality, which lasts but mere minutes.
- Look at the projected image, not through the pinhole.
- Never put your eye, binoculars, or telescope behind the opening.
- Keep the projector stable and supervise children using it.
- Move away from the Sun before adjusting or inspecting the opening.
Projection is an alternative to direct viewing, not a way to make an unfiltered telescope safe. The opening must project light onto a surface; it must never become an optical path into your eye.
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How to compare products before buying
Comparing eclipse glasses and handheld viewers
- Verification: Look for evidence of ISO 12312-2 conformity and check whether the manufacturer or authorized reseller appears on the current AAS supplier list.
- Condition: Reject any unit with scratches, tears, punctures, or other damage.
- Instructions: Keep and follow the product’s use directions, including any time limits or handling warnings.
- Fit: Choose a design that stays over the eyes without gaps while you look toward the Sun.
- Supervision: Plan how an adult will monitor children and prevent them from removing the viewer while facing the Sun.
Do not rank one direct-view format as universally safer. A well-verified, intact handheld viewer and a well-verified, intact pair of glasses serve the same basic unaided-eye purpose. The deciding evidence is testing, supplier verification, condition, fit, and correct use.
Comparing solar filters for optical equipment
- Equipment match: The filter must be made for the camera lens, binocular objective, or telescope aperture you will use.
- Front mounting: It must cover the Sun-facing aperture completely and remain secure while the instrument moves.
- Material and quality: Look for the relevant requirements for transmittance, uniformity, and material and surface quality described by AAS.
- Supplier instructions: Follow the maker’s mounting and operating directions; do not improvise an eyepiece-end attachment.
- Expert review: Ask an astronomer or qualified specialist if you are uncertain about compatibility or safe setup.
Common mistakes and what to do instead
Using regular sunglasses
Why it fails: Darkness is not the same as safe solar attenuation.
Do instead: Use a verified eclipse viewer for unaided eyes or an appropriate front-aperture filter for optics.
Trusting an ISO label without checking the seller
Why it fails: A printed claim does not prove accredited laboratory testing.
Do instead: Compare the manufacturer or authorized reseller with the current AAS supplier list and inspect the product.
Best Value
- 2026 Total Solar Eclipse: The solar eclipse starting on August 12, 2026. This is an essential accessory for you to prepare for observation. It can produce a clear outline and image of the sun without causing any damage to the eyes. It can reduce ultraviolet, infrared and The hazards of strong light, so you can observe the upcoming total solar eclipse with confidence.
- Absolutely 100% quality assurance: Our solar eclipse glasses lenses are extremely excellent and have passed the rigorous testing conducted by the ICS laboratory of U.S. and have an ISO 12313-2 (2015) quality inspection report. Complying with international standards, it can protect your eyes during observation.
- Suitable for everyone: Our glasses are suitable for adults and children, easy to use and very safe. If you are a scientific practitioner, astronomy enthusiast, parent or person in charge of relevant institutions and organizations, these glasses are your best choice.
- Looking directly at the sun can be dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. Viewing the sun without a proper filter can cause permanent eye damage. Adequate eye protection designed specifically for viewing the sun is crucial and should be taken seriously.
- Strictly follow the instructions for use: Ensuring that there are no risks during the observation process requires our joint efforts with you. Please cooperate and watch this magnificent astronomical spectacle together, because once missed, the next one will be decades away, which is very rare.
Wearing eclipse glasses while using binoculars or a telescope
Why it fails: The instrument concentrates sunlight and can burn through the direct-view filter.
Do instead: Install a specialist filter over the instrument’s front aperture before aiming it.
Using a filter that threads onto the eyepiece
Why it fails: Concentrated sunlight reaches the filter only after traveling through the telescope.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Do instead: Discard that arrangement and use a secure front-aperture solar filter.
Removing protection too early or replacing it too late
Why it fails: The partial phases surrounding totality still expose the bright solar face.
Do instead: Remove direct-view protection only after complete coverage begins and put it back before the bright face returns.
Continuing to use damaged equipment
Why it fails: Scratches, tears, pinholes, or loose mounts can admit unsafe light.
Do instead: Replace damaged glasses, viewers, or optical filters; do not patch them.
A practical eclipse-day checklist
- Identify whether each observation is unaided, through a camera, through binoculars, or through a telescope.
- Pack verified direct-view glasses or a handheld viewer for every person who will look directly at the Sun.
- Check the current AAS supplier list when purchasing, because suppliers and available products can change.
- Inspect every direct-view product immediately before use.
- Fit and test each front-aperture optical filter before the event, without looking through an unfiltered instrument.
- Cover or remove unfiltered finder scopes and auxiliary optics.
- Plan an adult to supervise children.
- Mark the expected totality interval so you know when direct-view protection may be removed and when it must be replaced.
- Bring an indirect-projection option if verified direct-view equipment is unavailable.
- When uncertain, keep the protection on and seek expert advice rather than improvising.
Bottom line
Eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers protect unaided eyes; they do not filter the concentrated beam inside a camera, binocular, or telescope. Use a verified, undamaged direct-view viewer for every partial or annular phase, and for the partial phases before and after totality. Use a purpose-built solar filter secured over the front of each optical instrument. Naked-eye viewing is reserved for the brief total phase when the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright face. If you cannot verify a viewer or filter, use indirect projection instead of taking a chance.
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