JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The countdown is on. We are only days away from the total solar eclipse. Do you have the right kind of glasses to see it for yourself?
The All-American Solar Eclipse Shades that Jacksonville’s Museum of Science and History offered for just $1 each sold out Monday -- about 5,000 of them.
Kid to Kid clothing store at 10601 San Jose Boulevard said they ordered more glasses and should have them available for sale Friday.
Local experts have offered warnings, and special glasses so that a once-in-a-lifetime event doesn’t cost you your vision.
"With an eclipse, obviously we want to watch it, but we need to watch it safely," said Dr. Philip Griffth, of Bowden Eye and Associates.
Griffith is excited about the eclipse, but Eddie Whisler, the director of the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium at MOSH, might be even more amped about it.
"I'm excited about it," Whisler said. "I mean, it's an adventure, right? It's an adventure with millions of other people who are seeking the same adventure."
Whisler said he knew that the special glasses MOSH offered would run out as soon as they found out about the total solar eclipse being within driving distance. He explained why they are crucial if you want to safely see the show.
"Severe damage to the eye is your alternative, so you want these for sure," Whisler said. "The thing is, not everyone needs one of these on their own. The peak is, you know, it's a three-hour event.
The path of totality is within a few hours drive, so even without going to South Carolina, many people will be able to see the eclipse with their own eyes.
Griffith said your eyes are too valuable to expose while looking at the sun, so he recommended the specialty glasses and not trying to use your own shades.
"Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark they are, let in thousands of times more light than the actual eclipse glasses, so if you're going to directly view the eclipse, you need to have certified eclipse glasses," Griffith said.
He added that if you’ve had any sort of eye surgery in the past few months you should not directly view the eclipse, even with certified lenses.
Griffith said Bowden Eye and Associated are also ran out of the specialty glasses, and asked to reorder, but the supplier said it's also out.
Click here to find out alternate ways you can safely watch the Great American Eclipse.
According to Whisler, two more total solar eclipses will happen in the continental U.S. in the coming years -- on April 8, 2024, and on Aug. 12, 2045. He called it an unusual "season."