What to Do if You Can't Find Eclipse Glasses in Germany
Certified eclipse glasses are sold out in Berlin and many cities, but experts say safe viewing is still possible with low-tech methods or public events.
- On Wednesday, Germany will witness its most dramatic solar eclipse in decades, with the moon blocking between 80 and 90 percent of the sun's light depending on location. Demand for certified protective glasses has outstripped supply, leaving residents scrambling for alternatives.
- Experts warn that looking directly at the sun is dangerous, as radiation can burn holes in the retina and cause vision loss. Certified viewing glasses previously available at pharmacies and opticians have sold out across Berlin and other urban centers.
- Ophthalmologist Gauti Jóhannesson warned regular sunglasses are "not enough protection" for direct viewing. Experts recommend DIY alternatives like pinhole projectors, colanders, or even a disco ball to safely project the eclipse onto surfaces.
- For those without glasses, the Zeiss Großplanetarium in Berlin and the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics in Potsdam are hosting public viewing events with expert guidance. Online retailers have limited pre-Wednesday shipping, though social media users suggest checking local discount stores.
- Astronomer Robert Cumming called this eclipse the "best chance before 2039" for regional viewers. The Perseid meteor shower peaks the same night, offering an additional celestial display that requires no protective equipment.
19 Articles
19 Articles
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DECRYPTAGE - It is dangerous to look at the Sun and watch the moon transit without protection, but there are ways to still enjoy the event if the glasses remain unobtainable.
The partial solar eclipse promises a rare natural spectacle. But the view to the sun is dangerous without special glasses. Where there are still some and what you have to pay attention to when buying.
On Wednesday we expect a partial solar eclipse in the region. But the sunglasses specially manufactured for this purpose are nowhere else to be found.
The procrastinators have never been as clear as this week. They go through pharmacies, optics, magazine stalls and supermarkets with the same question—do you have eclipse glasses?—and run up against the same negative. The fever for getting approved glasses has emptied the points where they were distributed for free, such as the ONCE kiosks, science museums or municipal libraries. But not getting them is no reason not to enjoy the astronomical sp…
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