SAN ANTONIO — You've seen them all over town, solar eclipse glasses. Businesses are selling them across south Texas ahead of the total solar eclipse on April 8th. But the eclipse glasses you may still have in your closet may or may not be useable this time around.
THE QUESTION
Is it true that you can reuse old eclipse glasses?
THE SOURCES
- Dr. Jennifer Wall, the Medical Director of MARC Opthalmology at UT Health San Antonio
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
THE ANSWER
NEEDS CONTEXT
WHAT WE FOUND
Dr. Wall told us the glasses are not made for forever use, and you should get new ones. She said, "The filters on the surface of the glasses can break down over time. So I would just highly recommend buying a fresh set for this eclipse. You could probably use the same glasses from the eclipse last year."
On the official 2024 eclipse website, NASA says, "If your eclipse glasses or viewers are compliant with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, you may look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun through them for as long as you wish. Furthermore, if the filters aren't scratched, punctured, or torn, you may reuse them indefinitely."
NASA adds that some glasses have printed warnings and an expiration date of three years, and stated, "Such warnings are outdated and do not apply to eclipse viewers compliant with the ISO 12312-2 standard adopted in 2015."
So yes it is true, you can reuse old eclipse glasses.
However, if it looks like the filter is damaged or worn off, or if there is an expiration date, you're strongly encourage to buy a fresh pair to keep those eyes as safe as possible.