Kristi Swan arrived at Clark Planetarium just after 7 a.m. Thursday, set up a lawn chair and began her three-hour wait for a chance to purchase protective glasses needed for viewing Monday’s eclipse.
Swan was quickly joined at the downtown Salt Lake City corner by dozens of others seeking to buy the last pairs available at the planetarium when its doors opened at 10:30 a.m. There are only about 3,500 pairs left and director Seth Jarvis said they were expected to run out within 45 minutes.
“I didn’t think I would be the first one here for sure,” Swan said after about two hours of waiting. “I was thinking about getting them from our library, but with the recalls I didn’t want to take the chance.”
After online retailer Amazon issued recalls for some eclipse glasses over the weekend, residents across the Salt Lake Valley have flooded the planetarium with inquiries about protective eyewear, which medical experts say is essential for preventing serious eye damage when directly viewing the Sun. Planetarium officials were limiting sales to five pairs per family.
By the time the last $2 pair is sold, the planetarium will have distributed all 121,000 pairs of glasses ordered for the eclipse. The planetarium is also nearly sold out of its supplies of 14 shade welder’s glass, which is also safe for viewing the eclipse, but Jarvis said that is expected to run out Thursday too.
Jarvis said the line for glasses Wednesday stretched from the planetarium’s location at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City for more than a block down 400 West and around the corner to Rio Grande Street.
“It‘s going to be all hands on deck the first 45 minutes we open,” he said. ”Then we will be sharing with visitors how they can view the eclipse in other ways like with pinhole cameras or through the shadows on trees.”
As Jarvis visited with waiting patrons Thursday morning , he stressed the importance of leaving early for those planning on traveling to the path of totality, which crosses the continental U.S. north of Utah.
Swan is planning on watching the eclipse with her family at their local library in Spanish Fork. Her children do not start school until Tuesday, she said, and they are excited to experience such a rare event on their last day of summer break.
Francis Davis joined Swan in line around 7:30 a.m. and said she planned to watch the eclipse with her grandchildren in South Jordan. Davis also said she would share her eclipse eyewear with others around her, adding that everyone should be able to witness the eclipse firsthand.
“I just feel like this is one of those things that Mother Nature can do that is awesome and amazing,” Davis said. “I know there has been a lot of hype, but I am happy to experience it quietly in my neighborhood with my family.”