It's done—the eclipse we've been waiting for so long is over. For one evening, the French and Parisians in particular gathered together to witness this singular event that won't happen again until 2081. And to experience this moment, one thing was absolutely essential: wearing ISO 12312-2 certified glasses to protect your eyes.
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Getting your hands on one of these precious pairs was almost like going through an obstacle course: shortages and long lines were spotted all across France. The government has even been accused of failing to launch an awareness campaign when back in 1999, 1.5 million pairs were handed out for free. So now that we've got them, what do we do with them?
Single-use glasses
Some people had the reflex to throw their glasses in the trash the moment they walked through their front door. Indeed, the government insists that these pairs are single-use only and that reusing them later poses risks. That said, if you still have unused glasses left over
under plastic or in a protective case, they can be kept and reused during the next eclipse in 2027.
Philippe Pouzet, president of the Astro Club Lourdais, clarified to La Dépêche that the glasses provided in 2026 are valid for the next three years. But you have to be very careful to store them properly ». The slightest scratch or deformation reduces protection and can pose serious risks to your eyesight. As a reminder, ISO 12312-2 glasses are not recyclable.
A spectacle as beautiful as it is dangerous
Although many pairs had been distributed for free in 1999,