You might be thinking, "I have sunglasses. That will be good enough." Unfortunately that's not true. You do need those special 'eclipse glasses' that all the scientists have been talking about, but why?
Sunglasses (with expressed UV protection) do protect your eyes from INDIRECT UV rays that can damage your vision. They are not however, strong enough to protect your eyes against the DIRECT UV rays that you would experience looking directly at the (only partially) eclipsed sun.
In Toledo, you will only see an 85% eclipsed sun, meaning at least a small portion of the sun (and its powerful rays) will remain visible during the eclipse. If Toledo were in the path of the total solar eclipse, it would be safe to look at the sun directly, ONLY during totality of the eclipse (when the moon completely blocks the sun).
Where can you get these glasses?
A few local options include: The Imagination Station during their viewing party in downtown Toledo from 10 AM – 5 PM on the 21st. Also the Toledo Lucas County Public Library is holding Solar Eclipse Safety Work Shops on August 16 – 3 p.m. at the Toledo Heights Branch and August 18 – 4 p.m. at the Birmingham Branch.
Order Online: NASA has a link of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers.
