People across the continental United States will witness a partial or total solar eclipse next month, but you’ll need to take precautions to avoid injuring your eyes. On April 8, the moon will pass between Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking the sun’s light. During the celestial alignment, afternoon skies will darken for a short time along a roughly 100-mile-wide path that cuts across Mexico, part of the U.S. and a small section of eastern Canada.
Those viewing a partial eclipse must keep their special eclipse glasses on throughout. And the glasses are not sufficient for people who want to use tools like binoculars or cameras. “Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury,” NASA warns.