NEW YORK—Last week, millions of North Americans turned their eyes to the skies for a solar eclipse—total for some, partial for others, but special for all. Leading up to the big day, ECPs spent months educating their communities on how to watch the eclipse safely, and when the eclipse finally arrived, they were able to enjoy watching the astronomical phenomenon with proper eye protection. This week, we’re taking a look back at how indies watched the solar eclipse.

The team at Bond 07 by Selima took their eclipse glasses to the next level. Image via bond07byselima on Instagram


In Claremont, Calif., the Luxe Optometry team enjoyed watching the eclipse with their neighbors at the UPS store. Image via luxeoptometry on Instagram


Rupa Wong, MD, who practices in Honolulu, Hawaii, and other attendees of AAPOS 2024 in Austin, Texas, gathered to watch the eclipse. The ophthalmology conference was specifically scheduled to coincide with the eclipse in totality. Image via drrupawong on Instagram


Bridgitte Shen Lee, OD, of Vision Optique in Houston, Texas, watched the eclipse from NASA’s Johnson Space Center with her daughter, Ariana Lee, a Houston Youth Poet Laureate, who was invited to recite a poem for the eclipse celebrations. Image via visionoptique on Instagram 


In Arkansas, the Laster Eye Center team headed outside to watch. Image via lastereyecenter on Instagram


The skies in Bellaire, Texas, cleared up just in time for the team at Bellaire Family Eyecare. Image via bfeyecare on Instagram