Eclipse glasses: ISO 12312-2 or nothing
The 2-minute safety guide for the August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse
On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse crosses Iceland and northern Spain, with a deep partial eclipse over most of Europe — up to 90% or more of the Sun covered in Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Every phase except totality itself requires certified eye protection: ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses. Nothing else is safe — not sunglasses, not smoked glass, not camera film. Retinal burns are painless and permanent.
The 30-second checklist before you trust any glasses
- ISO 12312-2 marking printed on the viewer, with a real manufacturer name and address.
- Lamp test: indoors, you should see absolutely nothing through them except the filament of the brightest bulbs.
- No damage: scratches, pinholes or wrinkled filter film = bin them.
- Trusted seller: counterfeit printing exists — prefer sellers with years of history and thousands of reviews (the AAS supplier list is the gold standard).
Where to get them in time
Order at least two weeks ahead — before every eclipse, certified glasses sell out and prices triple in the final days. The gear section below links a certified 5-pack (≈ $15); one pack covers the whole family plus a spare to sacrifice as a phone-camera filter.
Watching safely, phase by phase
- Partial phases (everywhere in Europe): glasses ON, always — even at 95% coverage the remaining sliver is dangerous.
- Totality (Iceland & northern Spain only, ~2 minutes): glasses OFF — totality is safe and is the whole show. Put them back on the instant the Sun reappears.
- No glasses? Pinhole projection works with a piece of card, a colander, or tree-leaf shadows.
- Cameras, binoculars, telescopes: front-mounted solar filters only.
Frequently asked questions
Are my old eclipse glasses from 2024 still safe?
If they're genuinely ISO 12312-2 certified, undamaged (no scratches, pinholes or creases in the lens film) and were stored flat, yes — the ISO standard has no expiry as long as the filters are intact. Inspect them against a bright lamp first: you should see NOTHING except the lamp's filament.
Can I use sunglasses, smoked glass or X-ray film?
No — none of them block enough infrared and ultraviolet. Even stacked sunglasses transmit thousands of times too much light. Retinal damage is painless and permanent; the only safe filters are ISO 12312-2 viewers and proper solar filters for optics.
How do I check that glasses are really ISO 12312-2?
Look for the ISO 12312-2 marking AND a named manufacturer/address, then test: indoors you should see nothing at all through them except the very brightest lamps. The American Astronomical Society keeps a list of vetted suppliers — counterfeits with fake ISO printing exist on marketplaces, so buy from sellers with long track records.
Can I watch the August 12 eclipse without glasses at all?
Two ways: pinhole projection (a card with a small hole projecting the Sun's image onto the ground — safe and free), or watching the deep partial phases indirectly. ONLY people inside the narrow totality path (Iceland, northern Spain) can look up bare-eyed, and only during the ~2 minutes of totality itself.
Do I need a special filter for my phone or camera?
Yes — the Sun will damage a phone sensor in seconds at full zoom. Put a solar filter (or a spare pair of eclipse glasses) over the lens for the partial phases. Never point binoculars or a telescope at the Sun without a front-mounted solar filter: eclipse glasses behind the eyepiece will melt.
Plan your eclipse
Check the full August 12 guide (path, times per city, weather odds), the Reykjavík and northern Spain city pages, or get a free reminder so you don't miss it — the same night the Perseids peak under a new moon.
