How to watch a solar eclipse safely
Never look at the Sun without proper protection, even when most of it is covered. Use eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard, or project the Sun's image with a pinhole. The only time it is safe to look with bare eyes is during totality, when the Sun is completely covered.
Key facts
| Safe glasses | Certified to ISO 12312-2 |
|---|---|
| Ordinary sunglasses | Not safe, even several pairs |
| Safe without glasses | Only during totality |
| Annular eclipse | Never safe without protection |
| Cameras, binoculars, telescopes | Need a solar filter on the front |
Why it matters
Looking at the Sun, even a thin crescent of it, can burn the retina at the back of the eye. It doesn't hurt while it happens, because the retina has no pain receptors, and the damage can be permanent. This is called solar retinopathy.
Eclipse glasses
Proper eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than sunglasses. Look for the ISO 12312-2 standard printed on them, and buy from a reputable seller. Before using them, check that the filters have no scratches, holes or creases. Through good glasses you should see nothing except the Sun itself (or a very bright light bulb). Put them on before looking up, and look away before taking them off. Supervise children closely.
Make a pinhole projector
- Take two sheets of stiff white card or paper.
- Cut a small square in the middle of one sheet, tape a piece of aluminum foil over it, and make a small, clean hole in the foil with a pin.
- Stand with your back to the Sun and hold the foil sheet up so sunlight passes through the hole.
- Hold the second sheet about a meter (three feet) away. A small image of the Sun, with the Moon's bite out of it, appears on it. Move the sheets farther apart for a bigger, dimmer image.
You don't even need to make one: the gaps between leaves on a tree, a kitchen colander or your crossed fingers all project dozens of little crescent Suns onto the ground during an eclipse.
Cameras, phones, binoculars and telescopes
Never look through binoculars, a telescope or a camera viewfinder at the Sun, even while wearing eclipse glasses: the optics concentrate the light and can burn straight through the glasses' filter, and your eye. Optics need a certified solar filter fitted over the front lens. Phone cameras are usually fine for a quick photo, but long exposures can damage the sensor.
During totality
If you are inside the path of a total eclipse, you can take your glasses off once the Sun is completely covered and the last bright bead of light (the “diamond ring”) has gone, to see the corona. Put them back on as soon as the first light reappears. During an annular or partial eclipse there is no safe moment: keep your protection on throughout.
Questions people ask
Can I look at an eclipse with sunglasses?
No. Even very dark sunglasses, or several pairs together, let through far too much light. Use ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses or a pinhole projector.
Is it safe to look at a solar eclipse through a phone screen?
Looking at the phone's screen is safe for your eyes, but pointing a phone at the Sun for a long time can damage its camera.
Do welding glasses work?
Only very dark welder's glass, shade 12 or darker (shade 14 is commonly recommended), is suitable. Most welding helmets are not dark enough.
Sources
Last updated October 20, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.