Long lines formed outside U.K. corner shops as Britons made a last-minute effort to purchase solar eclipse glasses. Videos shared on social media showed crowds waiting for hours, with some queues stretching for hundreds of meters.
Some shoppers reported waiting for more than three hours to buy the glasses, which are necessary for safely viewing the astronomical event. In one instance, a shop in Whitechapel received a delivery of 10,000 pairs of glasses that had arrived at Heathrow Airport. The glasses were priced at £9.99 each, and some customers were limited to purchasing a maximum of five pairs.
Experts have recently cautioned that looking directly at the sun without proper protection can cause severe and permanent eye damage. This warning prompted the surge in demand for specialized eclipse glasses.
These glasses are designed to filter out nearly all of the sun's intense visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not sufficient for safe solar viewing during an eclipse. The safest options are specially made eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard.
Scientists have advised against using glasses from previous eclipses, such as the one in 1999. The protective film on older glasses can degrade over time, rendering them ineffective and potentially dangerous. Using such degraded eyewear can put individuals at risk of permanent vision loss.
Dr. Greg Brown, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, stated that the film on older solar eclipse glasses can deteriorate, recommending the use of glasses manufactured within the last decade. Ophthalmologists have emphasized that the retina lacks pain receptors, meaning eye damage can occur without immediate sensation. Symptoms like blurred vision, blind spots, distorted vision, or reduced color perception might not appear until hours later, and some vision impairment can be permanent.
The event is expected to draw many people outdoors to observe the moon passing in front of the sun. For many, obtaining the necessary protective eyewear has become a race against time, with some comparing the rush to the demand for toilet paper during the COVID-19 pandemic.