Solar Eclipse 2017: How To Make Your Own Protective Glasses

ATLANTA, GA -- Store shelves are empty, and Amazon and eBay are charging insane prices for last-minute glasses to view Monday's solar eclipse. You may feel that you'll have to sit this once-in-a-lifetime celestial event out, but take heart: You can make your own protective glasses.

Viewing a solar eclipse without protective eyewear can damage the retina, permanently in many cases. So you don't want to chance looking at an eclipse without special glasses, fortunately there's a great DIY way to get you some appropriate specs. (SIGN UP: For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. Or if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)
Metro Atlanta Eclipse Guide 2017: Where to watch, how to see totality

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon's shadow crosses the Earth's surface, temporarily obscuring it. During totality, it will be safe -- for a few minutes -- to take off your spectacles and enjoy the moon directly in front of the sun with the star's corona glowing around it, but then it will be time to put your glasses back on.

In metro Atlanta, the eclipse will begin just after 1 p.m., with the sun being covered up to 97 percent around 2:30 p.m. The temperature is expected to drop five degrees from 90 to about 85, according to meteorologists.