(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/2023solareclipseguy)
The anticipated total solar eclipse is only two weeks away. Amid the wait, there are a lot of fake solar eclipse glasses on the market. Here are some tips for you to gauge if the one you have is legit.
How to Spot Fake Solar Eclipse Glasses
Many are excited about the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8. However, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) warned about the risks of buying fake or counterfeit solar glasses.
According to the AAS, there is a method to evaluate the effectiveness of solar glasses before the event. Wearing them indoors should limit your vision to intense lighting alone. You should not see anything, including the picture frames on the wall. Otherwise, the glasses are not dark enough for solar viewing.
If it passes the indoor tests, take it out and look around. The sun's reflection off a reflecting surface should be the only thing visible through eclipse glasses, and even then, it should appear feeble. If the solar glasses you have in hand fail any of these at-home tests, they are fake or counterfeit. Contact your supplier for a refund and return it. It's safer for you to discard it.
It's important to remember that not all counterfeit sunglasses are unsafe and fake. Certain counterfeit products are simply scams where a manufacturer impersonates another while maintaining the same level of quality. Nonetheless, there is a surge in counterfeit versions that, when worn, seem no darker than standard sunglasses and are dangerous to look at in direct sunlight.
Sunglasses, binoculars, solar filters, or even a reliable pair of paper eclipse glasses can provide eye protection during solar eclipses. Regrettably, as the solar eclipse draws nearer, more people will purchase fake eclipse glasses, which poses a risk when viewing the sun.
If you wish to see the solar eclipse safely, you should use equipment that meets the ISO 12312-2 standards. The apparatus must undergo laboratory testing and be certified by an accredited organization.
Unfortunately, anyone can print a statement claiming their device satisfies ISO requirements. Thus, it is highly recommended that you check AAS's list of certified safe solar glasses for your peace of mind.
Why Do You Need Solar Glasses When Watching Total Solar Eclipse?
Due to its extreme brightness, direct sunlight exposure is hazardous and challenging. The retina, the eye area directly responsible for vision, can sustain irreversible damage from even brief exposure to the sun's intense light. Solar retinopathy, or retinal burns, can result from exposing your eyes to the sun during a solar eclipse without wearing appropriate eye protection.
There is no warning that you have injured your eye because the retina is not sensitive to pain, and the consequences of retinal damage may not show up for hours. The damage can be either temporary or permanent, and symptoms like blurred or lost color vision may result.
The amount of time spent in direct sunlight that can harm one's eyes varies from person to person but is always only a few seconds.
So much of the sun is obscured during a total solar eclipse that one could be tempted to look directly at it. Watching any solar eclipse can cause severe and irreversible eye damage, and there is no cure for lost vision. Because their eyes allow more light to reach the retina than do adult eyes, children's eyes are particularly vulnerable.
Even with eclipse glasses, never point an optical device like a telescope, binoculars, or camera directly at the sun. Viewing the sun through such optical instruments without properly placed specialist solar filters can cause instant and severe damage to one's eyes.
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