Solar eclipse is coming — got plans?

Photos courtesy HY-VEE

The ISO-approved solar eclipse glasses retail at Hy-Vee at two for $7.

Local businesses and universities are tapping in to the solar eclipse craze.

On Monday, the moon will pass between the earth and the sun, creating a total solar ellipse in the United States for the first time since 1979, according to The Weather Channel.

The eclipse has many who want to view it scrambling to pick up a pair of safety glasses ahead of time. Set to reach totality over Springfield around 1:13 p.m. Aug. 21, the historic eclipse should not be viewed directly and glasses have been sold out across Springfield for days.

Continuing through this morning, customers were lined out the door and around the building to buy special eclipse sunglasses at Springfield’s Hy-Vee.

On. Aug. 16, customers waited in line for 2 hours to purchase a pair of ISO-approved solar eclipse glasses. The grocery story was expecting a second shipment the following day but notified customers the glasses were held up in U.S. Customs. The store was selling a new shipment of the glasses this morning at two for $7, according to its Facebook page.

Here are some viewing options:

At Missouri State University, the College of Natural and Applied Sciences is hosting a 10 a.m.-2 p.m. viewing event Monday at the Springfield campus’ Plaster Stadium. The first 11,000 people who arrive will receive free safety glasses. Becky Baker, senior astronomy instructor at MSU, said without the glasses, "the eye will focus the light from the sun on the back of the eye and do some major damage,” according to a news release.

"It is a chance to experience an event of cosmic proportion,” Baker added in the release.

Sun Solar LLC is partnering with Hurts Donut Co. for a solar eclipse watch party from noon to 2 p.m. Monday. The first 100 to show up will get solar eclipse glasses and customers will earn a chance at free doughnuts for a year, according to Sun Solar’s Facebook page. Hurts Donut also is making a specialty eclipse doughnut, according to its Facebook page.

Additionally, Mother’s Brewing Co. is hosting an 11 a.m. eclipse watch parter to benefit Care to Learn dubbed Eclipse Poverty.

Businesses such as Big O Tires, which operates two stores in Springfield, are closing all of its locations for 2 minutes and 40 seconds in observance of the eclipse. The company’s stores also are providing safety glasses to its customers and staff members, according to a news release.