The 2027 total solar eclipse will sweep across Egypt on August 2, delivering roughly six and a half minutes of totality near Luxor -- the longest on accessible land this century. Witnessing the corona with your own eyes is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, but the partial phases before and after totality demand strict precautions. This page is the primary reference for everything you need to protect your vision. For a shorter overview, see our astronomy safe viewing overview.
The international safety benchmark for solar viewing filters is ISO 12312-2:2015. Only glasses and handheld viewers that carry this certification printed on the frame reduce sunlight to safe levels. The standard requires the filter to block all ultraviolet radiation below 380 nm, all infrared above 780 nm, and more than 99.999 % of visible light. Before you put on any pair of eclipse glasses, check the frame for that marking -- if it is missing, do not use them. According to NASA, certified filters are the only reliable safeguard against solar retinopathy during partial phases.
During the partial phases -- from first contact through second contact, and again from third contact through fourth contact -- the crescent sun emits enough ultraviolet and infrared radiation to burn retinal tissue in seconds. Your pupils may dilate because the overall sky brightness drops, which paradoxically lets even more harmful energy reach the back of your eye. Protection is non-negotiable during these intervals.
The exception arrives at totality. When the moon slides completely over the solar disk (around 13:05 EEST in Luxor), the photosphere vanishes and only the ethereal corona remains. During these approximately 6 minutes 22 seconds, it is safe -- and genuinely recommended -- to remove your filter and observe with unaided eyes. You will see the sun's outer atmosphere, delicate pink prominences arcing off the limb, and perhaps stars or planets in the darkened sky.
Counterfeit solar glasses have proliferated online in the run-up to every major eclipse. Fraudulent products may carry a fake ISO label or provide only tinted plastic with no solar-grade filtering. Purchase exclusively from vendors vetted by the American Astronomical Society. On our eclipse tour packages, we source every pair from AAS-approved manufacturers, and our guides verify each set before distribution.
When you travel with us, safety is built into the itinerary. Every guest receives certified ISO 12312-2 solar viewing glasses, access to filtered telescopes set up at the observation site, a thorough pre-eclipse safety briefing, and real-time verbal countdowns throughout the event -- so you always know the precise second to remove or replace your filter.