Solar eclipse glasses sold out in Iceland

Do you want to watch the solar eclipse tomorrow but haven´t got the required glasses? Tough luck, because the solar eclipse glasses are sold out in Iceland.

Don´t bother looking in other countries in Europe because there are none left there either, says Sævar Helgi Bragason, head of Seltjarnarnes Astronomy Club.

Sævar Helgi told Vísir on Wednesday that the club received 72.000 solar eclipse glasses and they sold out very quickly.

"The demand was much greater than the supply and the glasses also sold out in Europe so we could not get any more."

The next best solution for those who want to watch the solar eclipse is to use welding glasses but otherwise Sævar Helgi recommends that people who own solar eclipse glasses simply share them with others.

Because the glasses are sold out the demand has risen. The glasses were originally sold for 500 krónur (3 US dollars) but now people who own them are offered a much higher sum.

For example, all elementary schools in Iceland got glasses for free for all students from the Seltjarnarnes Astronomy Club but as Vísir reported today a headmaster of an elementary school was offered 5000 krónur for each pair of glasses.