The recommendations are clear: the «approved» (homologadas in Spanish) glasses to watch the eclipse safely should be bought from opticians (or are free from the ONCE kiosks in Murcia region) and count on the ISO 12312-2 approval code.
If you buy them on the Internet ensure you are buying glasses that provide the necessary protection and are not fakes. Buying the incorrect glasses and using them to watch the eclipse could be dangerous for your sight, according to official advice.
The price of the correct glasses is reasonable, at between three to five euros.
In Calasparra they are available free of charge from the ONCE kiosk in the Plaza de la Corredera from today, Wednesday August 5, but supplies are likely to be limited.
These are the official recommendations for watching the eclipse with approved glasses:
Don´t look directly at the sun while putting on or taking off your glasses
Don’t look at the eclipse for more than three minutes at a time, take breaks
Don´t use telescopes, camaras etc without a specific filter as this may can damage your eyes and may even cause a wildfire
Although the moon will cover the disc of the sun well the ultraviolet radiation and infrared will still be dangerous. The problem is that you will not note the damage in the moment as the radiation accumulates in the structures of the eye without causing pain during exposure so many people are not aware of the risk until it is too late.
There are three groups that are especially vulnerable: children, people with poor eyesight and elderly people who are most likely to suffer from macular degeneration.
Please enjoy this amazing natural spectacle safely.
