At a bakery in central London, stock has been flying off the shelves.
“I’ve sold, like, 100 this morning,” a staff member tells the BBC. But it’s not baked goods driving queues out of the door – customers are here to buy eclipse glasses.
They are among those hoping to catch a safe glimpse of Wednesday’s solar eclipse – the UK’s most significant since 1999 – but struggling to get their hands on the right gear.
Experts have urged eclipse enthusiasts not to look directly at the sun – with even brief exposure causing lasting damage – and to seek out specialist glasses instead.
But online, pairs that meet safety specifications have all but sold out. Those still available either require a hefty next-day delivery fee or simply cannot arrive on time.
Even the Royal Museums Greenwich – recommended as a reputable retailer by UK health officials – has sold out, citing an “unprecedented volume” of orders.
“I Googled ‘where can I get eclipse glasses but not through the post’, because I realised I was too late,” one customer waiting to buy three pairs at the bakery on Monday tells BBC Radio 4’s PM programme.
“People have been struggling to find them all over,” says another.
With around 90% of the Sun set to be obscured by the Moon, the UK is expecting its most significant eclipse in 27 years.
The right glasses should have the international safety standard ISO 12312-2 printed on them, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHA) has advised, and the lenses should not be scratched, torn or damaged.
It has also advised caution surrounding glasses being sold online, as the scramble for safe spectacles has prompted eclipse enthusiasts to trawl social media for tips.
Even just a small part of the sun breaking through the glasses can harm your eyes, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists has warned, adding that the safest way to watch the event is indirectly – such as through a livestream or broadcast.
“Crucially, the retina has no pain receptors, so people will not feel the damage as it happens, explains the college’s president Mohamed Elalfy.
The college reported around 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems after watching 1999’s total solar eclipse – around 40% of those affected had looked at it for less than a minute.
Imo Bell, a planetarium astronomer at The Royal Observatory Greenwich, says the specialist glasses are “very, very different” to regular sunglasses, which will not offer protection.
“They block out so much light that you can’t see anything through them except the Sun,” she told the PA news agency.
“We’re not going to get one this good for a really long time. So, it’s important not to miss it, and to be prepared.”
