Experts warn of dangers from fake eclipse glases

Be careful with your eyes on Monday, with experts warning of counterfeit solar eclipse glasses circulating that won’t protect your vision.

The American Astronomical Society says real eclipse glasses are specially made to block almost all light, and the the society is warning the market is full of cheap knockoffs that could cause blindness.

The knockoffs are even faking the certification labels on their junk glasses. The society provides a list of real vendors on its website here: https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/how-to-tell-if-viewers-are-safe

According to the society, real, safe solar viewers and glasses do more than reduce the Sun’s visible light to. The also block potentially harmful UV and IR radiation.

To test your glasses, you shouldn’t be able to see anything through them except the Sun itself or something comparably bright, such as the filament of an incandescent light bulb, a bright halogen light bulb, a bright-white LED bulb or a bare compact fluorescent bulb. With your glasses on, those light sources should appear quite dim.

If you can see shaded lamps or other common household light fixtures of ordinary brightness through your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer don’t try to use them.

Safe solar filters produce a view of the Sun that is comfortably bright like the full Moon and in focus. If you glance at the Sun through your solar filter and find it uncomfortably bright, they aren’t safe.