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Madrid sells out of eclipse-viewing glasses and drives a last-minute search
Madrid faces the final hours before the eclipse with an unexpected problem: finding approved glasses has become an increasingly difficult task. Pharmacies, specialist shops and free-distribution points have sold out much of their stock amid demand that has soared in recent days.
The shortage especially affects the capital, where numerous establishments have spent days answering that they no longer have units available. The situation is also repeated among those looking for equipment at the last minute to travel to municipalities such as Buitrago del Lozoya or Somosierra, two of the places with the best conditions for observing totality.
The shortage also extends to free glasses. ONCE has distributed nearly two million units across Spain, and Madrid’s municipal resources have also recorded high demand. The City Council has already ruled out expanding at the last minute the consignments initially planned for libraries and other cultural spaces.
Photography shops are experiencing a similar situation. Fotocasión, one of the specialist establishments in the city centre, sold out of filters for cameras, mobile phones and video equipment after selling around 300 units last week. On Monday alone, it received more than fifty calls asking about new stock.
The last-minute fever is not limited to Madrid. One day before the eclipse, pharmacies, opticians and shops in different Spanish cities are recording stock problems, while some prices have risen on online sales platforms. Experts insist that the lack of availability should not lead people to use improvised or unguaranteed products.
To observe the Sun safely, glasses must comply with ISO 12312-2:2015 and bear CE marking. Conventional sunglasses, X-rays, smoked glass and homemade filters are not suitable. It is also dangerous to look through binoculars, telescopes or cameras without solar filters specifically designed to be placed in front of the lens.
The eclipse will begin to be visible in Madrid at around 19:30 and will reach its most spectacular moment shortly after 20:30. In the capital it will remain partial, while around 40 municipalities in the Region will enter the band of totality, with Somosierra as one of the points where darkness will last the longest, around a minute and a half.
Those who have reached the last day without glasses still have a safer alternative than improvising: share an approved viewer in turns or go to one of the official observation points where equipment is available. The lack of glasses can be frustrating, but looking directly at the Sun without adequate protection can cause permanent retinal injuries.