Lance Bass Encourages Fans to Wear Eclipse Glasses: 'Don't Say Bye Bye Bye to Your Vision'

The *NSYNC alum — who serves on the board of the National Space Society — shared some NASA-approved tips for viewing the April 8 total solar eclipse

Lance Bass wants his fans to have a safe eclipse viewing experience.

On April 7, just one day ahead of the total solar eclipse set to travel across the path of the U.S., the *NSYNC alum, 44, shared some NASA-approved tips for viewing the solar eclipse — including when it's okay to remove your glasses.

"During these celestial events, the sun, Earth and moon are in sync — creating solar eclipses," the singer, who serves on the board of the National Space Society, said in a video clip. "You can look directly at the sun during a total solar eclipse, but only when it's completely covered by the moon for a brief period known as totality. This is a really special moment."

"At all other times, you should wear eclipse glasses so that you don't say 'Bye Bye Bye' to your vision," he joked in a nod to the hit *NSYNC song.

The dad of two added that potential eclipse viewers should not use regular sunglasses for eclipse viewing, as NASA-approved glasses are thousands of times darker to protect the viewer's eyes.

"Don't be a Space Cowboy and try to look directly at the sun," he added, referencing the band's song "Space Cowboy (Yippie‐Yi‐Yay)."

"If you don't have eclipse glasses, you can use an indirect viewing method, like a pinhole projector. You can make one of these with something as simple as an index card with a hole, or a colander, or even your hands," he continued.

Related: Lance Bass Says Family Trips Are 'Kind of Last Minute': 'It's Hard to Plan Anything These Days' (Exclusive)

"With the sun at your back, you can project an image of the sun through the hole onto a nearby surface like the ground," Bass said, demonstrating the classic sun-viewing technique. "It's gonna be who's wearing my solar eclipse glasses, and so are you!"

In the post's caption, Bass joked that "Guncle Lance" was sharing the tips ahead of the April 8 eclipse in collaboration with NASA, the Smithsonian and @airandspace.

The official NASA account chimed in underneath the post in a comment, joking: "Who's watching? It's gonna be me! Uh, that is, us. :)"

"All of North and Central America will experience at least a partial eclipse on Monday, April 8. Be sure to use solar-safe glasses, or an indirect viewing method like the pinhole projectors Lance showed off in this video," NASA wrote.

Related: Where to Buy Solar Eclipse Glasses? All About the Specialized Glasses Recommended by NASA

Lance has been involved in space research and travel for many years — he once even trained to go to space, as he recalled in his 2023 podcast.

According to NASA, the upcoming solar eclipse is set to pass over the U.S. on Monday, April 8. Exact timing depends on where viewers are located in North America, where the phenomenon will pass after it begins over the South Pacific ocean.

The space agency links to a resource page on its site with vetted companies that manufacture and sell safe solar viewers and filters for binoculars and telescopes. According to NASA, these sellers have "demonstrated" that the products they're selling "meet the safety requirements" for eclipse viewing.

Related: Lance Bass Explores His Lifelong Fascination with Space Travel on Podcast Series 'The Last Soviet'

The resource page does not recommend searching for eclipse glasses on Amazon, eBay, Temu or any other online marketplace and buying from whichever vendor offers the lowest price. Before making an online purchase, NASA advises that people make sure the seller is "identified on the [NASA] site."

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After the eclipse begins its path across the U.S. in Texas, it will pass through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Michigan and Tennessee.

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