Where to get free "I Love NY" eclipse glasses for April 8 total solar eclipse in New York
NEW YORK -- Limited edition "I Love NY" solar eclipse glasses are now available statewide ahead of the April 8 total solar eclipse.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and state officials caution New Yorkers to protect their eyes and beware of fake glasses.
"Looking at the sun without proper eye protection can literally cause permanent damage," State Operations Director Kathryn Garcia said on March 25, two weeks before the big event. "We have special eclipse glasses that will be available in limited quantities at our welcome centers and at our thruway rest stops across the state."
- New York solar eclipse forecast: See the cloud cover map
- Solar eclipse 2024 live updates and scenes from the path of totality
The American Astronomical Society warns fake glasses have straight edges with sunglass-like lenses, but real ones should have curved edges with reflective lenses. See the approved list.
The April 8 total solar eclipse will travel through the western part of the state, including cities like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. Celebrations are planned all weekend long, and traffic is expected to be heavy.
Garcia said the state even has a special eclipse playlist, featuring everything from "Here Comes the Sun" to "Total Eclipse of the Heart."
Most of the surrounding Tri-State Area will be outside the path of totality, but will see the moon cover about 90% of the sun.
I Love NY eclipse glasses
The state is distributing the free "I Love NY" eclipse glasses at 30 locations, including welcome centers and service areas.
Around the New York City area, they are available at Penn Station's Moynihan Train Hall, the Long Island Welcome Center on the Long Island Expressway Eastbound in Dix Hills and the Hudson Valley-Catskills Welcome Center at Woodbury Commons in Central Valley. See the full list.
- Adirondacks Welcome Center on I-87 Northbound in Glen Falls
- Lake Placid Visitor Bureau on Main Street in Lake Placid
- Capital Region Welcome Center on I-87 Northbound in Hannacroix
- New Baltimore Service Area on I-87 North & Southbound in Hannacroix
- Mohawk Valley Welcome Center on I-90 Westbound in Fultonville
- Southern Tier Welcome Center on I-87 Northbound in Kirkwood
- Mohawk Service Area on I-90 Eastbound in Amsterdam
- Indian Castle Service Area on I-90 Eastbound in Little Falls
- Iroquois Service Area on I-90 Westbound in Little Falls
- Schuyler Service Area on I-90 Westbound in Frankfort
- Oneida Service Area on I-90 Eastbound in Westmoreland
- Chittenango Service Area I-90 Westbound in Canastota
- National Comedy Center on West 2nd Street in Jamestown
- Central NY Welcome Center on Destiny USA Drive in Syracuse
- Finger Lakes Welcome Center on Lakefront Drive in Geneva
- Port Byron Service Area on I-90 Eastbound in Port Byron
- Warners Service Area on I-90 Westbound in Warners
- Junius Ponds Service Area on I-90 Westbound in Phelps
- Clifton Springs Service Area on I-90 Eastbound in Clifton Springs
- Seneca Service Area on I-90 Westbound in Victor
- Western NY Welcome Center on Alvin Road in Grand Island
- Pembroke Service Area on I-90 Eastbound in Corfu
- Clarence Service Area on I-90 Westbound in Clarence
- Hudson Valley | Catskills Welcome Center at Woodbury Commons in Central Valley
- Ardsley Service Area on I-87 Northbound in Hastings-on-Hudson
- Plattekill Service Area on I-87 Northbound in Plattekill
- Modena Service Area on I-87 Southbound in Modena
- Long Island Welcome Center on the Long Island Expressway Eastbound in Dix Hills
- Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in Manhattan
- North Country Welcome Center on Collins Landing Road in Alexandria Bay
Experts say it is important to wear protective eclipse glasses, which are 1,000 times darker than sunglasses and adhere to international safety standards.
"If you buy a pair of eclipse glasses online or from a store, please make sure they are from a trusted source," Garcia said. "If you can see your hand in front of your face with the glasses on, if you can see, they're not good."
NASA warns not look at the eclipse through a camera lens, binoculars or telescope -- even while wearing eclipse glasses -- because the solar rays could burn through the lens.
"During the eclipse, as the sunlight dims, our eyes go through a fascinating shift, called purkinje. What it means is that we're more sensitive to colors. Reds may appear to fade, while greens and blues will come alive," said Garcia. "Pay attention to how colors around you change -- a great science experiment. And ask people in your group to wear red and green so that you can have the full effect."
You can also try to view the eclipse indirectly with a homemade pinhole projector.
CBS News New York will stream live coverage of the event from 2 to 4 p.m. with Chief Weathercaster Lonnie Quinn in Lake Placid and CBS2 News at 5 Anchor Kristine Johnson in Niagara Falls, along with reporters across New York and New Jersey.
