The eclipse is nearly here, and millions of Americans are buzzing about the historic event. Some have even planned road trips across the country in hopes of catching a glimpse of totality.
One of the best ways to watch the eclipse safely is by using solar eclipse glasses, but it’s important to ensure that you have a pair of legitimate, approved shades.
Avoid Using Regular Glasses or Filters From Home
While it’s tempting to use a pair of sunglasses or glasses you have at home to save a few dollars, it may not be worth the potential risks and harm you could do to your eyesight. Avoid using sunglasses, magnifiers, an unfiltered telescope, smoked glass, polarized filters, or magnifiers to watch the solar eclipse.
The American Optometric Association recommends only using glasses that meet the international standard, ISO 123 12-2.
These glasses block infrared and ultra-violet radiation and visible sunlight to a level that’s safe to view. Looking directly into the sun has several risks. UV radiation can damage your eye cells, and infrared radiation can cause thermal damage to the eye—all of which are best avoided to keep your vision in top shape.
Make Sure Your Glasses Contain the Proper Label
According to the American Astronomical Society, some glasses could be labeled as ISO-compliant when they haven’t been properly tested or shown to be safe to use.
So, how can you tell if the glasses you bought are the real deal? Your eclipse glasses need to have a note somewhere on them about meeting the international standard. This note is typically on the arm of the glasses and will read “ISO 12312-2” or “ISO 12312-2:2015.”
Watch Out for Fake ISO Labels
Unfortunately, some manufacturers will put the ISO logo on their products and packaging, even if their solar eclipse glasses haven’t been tested. This makes it much more difficult to authenticate your glasses by using the logo alone. If you’re still unsure about your solar eclipse glasses, the American Astronomical Society has a list of suppliers that provide safe solar viewers and filters.
If you don’t find your supplier on the list, it doesn’t mean the glasses aren’t safe, it just means that the AAS can’t vet all suppliers as there are too many, and these are the main suppliers typically used.
Try Testing Out Your Glasses at Home
If you need some extra reassurance on the authenticity of your glasses, you can also test your eclipse glasses yourself. NASA recommends putting on your glasses at home and finding a bright light. If the light is dim and difficult to see or doesn’t appear at all, that could mean that your glasses are legitimate.
If you see a glow, you may want to consider grabbing a new pair, as you shouldn’t see any type of glow with your glasses on.
Amazon Refunds Customers for Solar Eclipse Glasses
Some unlucky customers have purchased their solar eclipse glasses from Amazon, but the company has recently issued a warning to certain customers about the quality of their glasses.
The company VERIFY has sent out notices and refunds to customers who purchased solar eclipse glasses that may not be sourced from a supplier that’s listed by the American Astronomical Society as an approved source.
The post How To Know Your Eclipse Glasses Are the Real Deal first appeared on Wealth of Geeks.
