Eclipse chasers scramble for glasses as stocks run low
Greenwich museums are selling ISO-certified glasses as shops sell out and officials warn that direct viewing can permanently damage eyes.
- On Tuesday, hundreds of customers queued outside Free Spirit Psychic Shop in Wrexham from 7am, hoping to secure the final pairs of solar eclipse glasses before the shop opened at 10am.
- The partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, offers the most coverage seen from the UK in 27 years, with around 90% of the Sun expected to be obscured across North Wales during the evening event.
- Owner Warren Starling said he stocked around 700 pairs of certified solar eclipse glasses over the past week and a half, with demand far exceeding his expectations. The latest delivery of 200 pairs sold out quickly.
- Warren kept prices at £5 to ensure accessibility rather than profit from demand. "I don't like letting people down," he admitted when supplies ran out, though the special atmosphere created at the shop was "amazing."
- The Maidenhead Astronomical Society will offer limited eclipse glasses at Pinkney's Green Common from 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday. Officials advise calling ahead before traveling, as availability remains limited across retailers nationwide.
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139 Articles
Massive lines seen as Britons queue for HOURS in sweltering heat to buy solar eclipse glasses for historic event
Massive queues have formed across Britain as people scramble to secure solar eclipse glasses before tonight's historic celestial event.Tonight's solar eclipse is the most significant to be visible from the UK in 27 years.Stocks have been running critically low, with online suppliers largely exhausted and even the Royal Museums Greenwich, recommended by UK health officials as a trusted seller, confirming it had sold out.The organisations had conf…
Ophthalmologist Vinodh Kakkassery warns against lightness in the eclipse. The eyes must be protected – for example by certain welding glasses.
The solar eclipse in Iceland is particularly spectacular: the island is partly in the core shade. For a good minute the sun will disappear. The natural spectacle provides for its own event industry. By Arne Bartram.
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