CINCINNATI — While Cincinnati will only be witness to a partial eclipse on April 8, a short trip north will put people in the path of totality for the celestial event — but viewing it without proper protection is dangerous.
Those looking to gaze upward as the sun disappears behind the moon this April can score special glasses to protect their eyes, though those options can be limited the closer it gets to the eclipse date. To help, the Cincinnati Observatory is selling the glasses, certified with the ISO 12312-2 label for direct solar viewing.
"We're thrilled to be able to offer eclipse glasses to the community and provide a safe way for people to experience the wonder of a solar eclipse," said Anna Hehman, executive director of the Cincinnati Observatory. "Eclipse glasses are an essential tool for anyone planning to observe the solar eclipse. This is a rare opportunity to witness one of nature's most breathtaking phenomena and we want to make sure that everyone can enjoy it safely."
The glasses feature special solar filters that block out 99.99% of the sun's light, which means anyone wearing them can safely stare directly at the sun while the eclipse is happening.
The glasses cost $5 per pair and the Cincinnati Observatory is limiting purchases to six per person.
The observatory is open for sales on Tuesdays and Thursdays between noon and 3 p.m., and on Friday evenings during astronomy events.
However, anyone who purchases a membership to the Cincinnati Observatory will receive a free pair of the eclipse glasses with their membership.
"We do tend to sell out of the eclipse glasses pretty quickly, so we want to remind people to get them while they are still available," said Hehman.
The Cincinnati Observatory was the first public observatory built in the western hemisphere. It originally opened in Mount Adams in 1843 then, a few decades later, moved to Mount Lookout in 1873, and it's been there for the last 150 years.
Inside, it also houses the oldest continually-used telescope in the country.
