The Halton Hills Public Library will have a limited number of free protective glasses available to safely watch the solar eclipse.
Next Monday (April 8), the moon will align perfectly between the earth and sun and parts of the country will become completely dark for a few moments. However, watching the eclipse without protective eyewear can damage your retina (the tissue at the back of your eyes).
The Halton Hills Public Library will be handing out a very limited supply of approved solar eclipse glasses at the Georgetown branch for library members on a first-come, first-served basis. You can pick up your free glasses Saturday (April 6) at 9:30 a.m. by showing your library card. Due to the limited supply, it will be one pair of glasses per library card holder.
The glasses being distributed are provided by Firefly Books and meet the international standard for viewing the eclipse.
Here are some safety tips from the library:
- Ensure solar eclipse glasses are not damaged or scratched before use
- Don't use the glasses for more than three minutes at a time
- Don't look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical devices while using your glasses
- Don't move, drive a vehicle or operate heavy machinery while wearing your eclipse glasses.
The library will have solar eclipse displays to learn more about events like this.
There will be activities and crafts at the library with an eclipse theme on April 8 for children ages five to 12. Drop-in activities start at 3 p.m. and are free to attend. The library will also be showing the movie Trolls Band Together in the Cultural Centre Studio Room at 2 p.m.
