City of Brockville Providing Solar eclipse glasses for the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse on April 8

Brockville – The City of Brockville will be along the Path of Totality for the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse on April 8th, making Brockville a prime viewing location for this cosmic event. Looking directly at the sun is never safe, and significant eye damage can occur when looking at the eclipse.

The City of Brockville, in partnership with the Aquatarium, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Brockville Tourism, has secured a supply of solar eclipse viewing glasses for the community to enjoy this event safely.

How to get your approved solar eclipse glasses:

The Royal Canadian Air Force, the Aquatarium, and Brockville Tourism have sponsored solar filter glasses that will be handed out on the day of the event, in advance to schools, and for pick up in advance from the Aquatarium and our partners.

• Main pickup location: Aquatarium Front Desk (6 Broad Street)
  • Pick up your glasses starting on Saturday, March 23 at 10:00 am
  • Hours: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Friday to Monday
• Other pick-up locations: if you are unable to make it to the Aquatarium, limited quantities will be available while supplies last at:
  • Brockville Police Station (2269 Parkedale Avenue)
  • Brockville Fire Station Number 2 (360 Laurier Boulevard)

Glasses will be available during business hours for all locations, with a maximum of 4 glasses per household. Glasses will also be distributed to Brockville and area schools. If your child will already be receiving a pair of glasses from their school, please help us ensure that we can protect the greatest number of eyes, and do not request glasses from the Aquatarium for your household that you will not need.

Eye Safety Notes:

• Approved Solar Eclipse Glasses: available commercially, the glasses must meet International Standard ISO 12312-2 for safe viewing and must not be scratched or damaged before use. Check out this information sheet on the safe viewing of an eclipse.
• Dark-tinted sunglasses will not be sufficient protection (Canadian Association of Optometrists, 2022).
• If you purchase your own glasses, please be wary of online vendors selling faulty products. Make sure you are purchasing from a vendor who meets ISO 12312-2 standards. The American Astronomical Society has put together a list of certified vendors that is available on their website.

Using your solar glasses:

The only time that the eclipse can be viewed with the naked eye is at maximum (when the moon completely blocks the sun), and only if you are located within the path of totality (if you will be in Brockville during the eclipse you will be in the path and will be able to remove your glasses at maximum). The light level at this time is roughly equivalent to looking at a full moon and is safe to look at, but only lasts a minute or two. The sun at any other time is dangerously bright and must be viewed through a special-purpose solar filter.

If you won’t be in Brockville during the eclipse, check this map to see if you will be in the Path of Totality. If you are outside of the Path, you will be observing a partial eclipse, which means that you will not observe maximum (100% eclipse of the sun), and you must keep your glasses on for the entire viewing.

For more information about the eclipse please visit the city’s dedicated page here!