New Yorkers who have procrastinated preparing for Monday’s partial solar eclipse need not worry about burning their eyes, as the city’s public libraries have you covered with free pairs of glasses enabling your full viewing pleasure of the rare event.
New York City will not be in the path of the “total eclipse” but will still experience a “partial” eclipse. Still, viewing the eclipse without protection can cause permanent eye damage, even after looking for just a few seconds.
Luckily for those last-minute skyheads, the city’s public libraries are giving away scores of free solar eclipse glasses, which are dark enough to allow for direct viewing. The New York, Brooklyn, and Queens Public Library systems have been giving away eclipse glasses since last month, in a partnership with the National Esports Association, and are still doing so.
Glasses are available on a first-come-first-serve basis at New York and Queens branches, while at Brooklyn branches they’re available at set times during events.
The libraries have been beset by high demand for the glasses, so New Yorkers should call their local branches to check if they still have glasses before heading over to grab them. Due to city budget cuts, public libraries are now closed on Sundays, so last-minute eclipsers will need to grab them on Monday.
Free, I Love NY-branded eclipse glasses are also available from Long Island Rail Road ticket windows at Moynihan Train Hall in Midtown on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The national eyewear retailer Warby Parker had been giving away free glasses but recently ran out.
The eclipse is expected to last around two hours in the afternoon, between 2:10 and 4:36 p.m. The peak eclipse will occur at around 3:25 p.m.
Forecasters are expecting partly cloudy weather Monday but the view is still expected to be sublime in the five boroughs.
