Beware! Fake eclipse glasses flood market, risking eye damage and blindness

Come Monday, thousands, perhaps millions will be gazing up at the sky. For the U.S., it’ll be the last total solar eclipse until 2044. If taking in that phenomenon is on your bucket list, you know eye protection is essential. Don’t be blinded by scammers (literally) by buying fake eclipse glasses. Reports are coming in that scammers are selling “safe” eclipse-viewing eyewear that could leave you with eye damage, or even blindness.

“Counterfeit and fake eclipse glasses are polluting the marketplace”

Less than a month ago, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) said it had looked into claims of solar viewers being sold that weren’t really safe for eclipse viewing. On March 11, the group, made up of professional astronomers and other interested folks, said it found no evidence of that claim. But days later, the group’s Solar Eclipse Task Force discovered the scammers had arrived. In the AAS’ words, “counterfeit and fake eclipse glasses are polluting the marketplace.” It’s not easy to discern the fakes from the real. In our opening picture above, the top viewer was a fake, while the bottom, legitimate.

Don’t be blinded by scammers—literally

Could you be blinded by scammers? We mean this in a literal way. “People who view the eclipse without the proper protective eyewear can experience serious permanent damage to their eyes,” warns Dr. Atalie Thompson. “[It’s] a condition called solar retinopathy, which can cause blindness.”

Thompson is an ophthalmologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She adds, “It is important to buy eclipse glasses and viewers from these vetted vendors and to check the glasses ahead of time to make sure there are not any scratches on the lens or defects.”

Not sure if your glasses are safe? Here’s how to test

So maybe you got a hot deal on some “certified” eclipse viewers. Did you buy them from a “vetted vendor”? The AAS, mentioned above, has a list of such trusted sources. You can check it out by clicking here. What if you didn’t get your viewer from one of those sources? Here’s how you can check out your viewer—before the eclipse—to find out if it’s safe—or a scam.

1. Indoor check: Look through the viewer or glasses. You shouldn’t be able to see anything other than very bright light. Try looking at your smartphone flashlight or a halogen bulb. If you can see anything else, then your viewer isn’t safe. But don’t stop here.

2. Take your viewer outside: DON’T look up at the sun, but rather check out other objects. Trees, hills, even the ground at your feet—all of these should not be visible in daylight. If—and only if—your viewer or glasses pass this test, then move on to the next step.

3. If it passes everything else, then: Using the viewer or glasses, take a very QUICK GLIMPSE of the sun. You should be able to see the sun as a sharp-edged, round disk. You should not feel any discomfort.

If your viewers pass all three of these tests, then, according to Rick Fienberg, they’re probably safe for eclipse viewing. Fienberg is the project manager for AA’s Solar Eclipse Task Force. He cited this test procedure in a recent article in Scientific American. Even so, he recommends even if your non-vetted viewers pass the test that you’re wise to use them for only a few seconds of each minute of the eclipse.

Alternative eclipse viewing gear

But what if you find your eclipse viewing equipment isn’t safe? Are there any alternatives to try? Don’t shuffle out to the shop and grab that handy welding mask or welding goggles. They can be used, IF they have a sufficient degree of filtration. Specifically, Shade 12—or higher—is safe, according to NASA. Some may find Shade 12 isn’t dark enough for comfort—and the next step up, Shade 14, may be too dark to see the eclipse.

If you’re along the path of totality, feed and farm outlet Tractor Supply says it will stock Shade 12 welding helmets. In promotional work, the company said their helmets were “NASA certified.” Somebody at Tractor Supply is a bit over-eager. NASA DOES NOT certify any eclipse viewing gear. So if somebody tries to sell you viewers or glasses certified by NASA, get out your can of “BS Spray” and start shooting.

Can’t find appropriate welding eyewear and still want to see the eclipse? You may not be able to look directly at the Sol-Luna dance, but you can still get a safe eyeful. You don’t need to be a Pastafarian, but you’ll need a colander, as you’d use to strain spaghetti. Put a sheet of paper down on the ground, then with the sun at your back, bring the colander close to the paper. The tiny holes of the colander will act like an old “pinhole camera” and safely project images of the sun onto the paper.

And here’s a NASA project you can build

If you’re handy, NASA recommends making your own “eclipse viewer.” Here’s how: “Using a cardboard box, a white sheet of paper, tape, scissors, and aluminum foil. With the Sun behind you, sunlight will stream through a pinhole punched into aluminum foil taped over a hole in one side of the box.

“During the partial phases of a solar eclipse, this will project a crescent Sun onto a white sheet of paper taped to the inside of the box. Look into the box through another hole cut into the box to see the projected image.”

While it may be your “last shot” at viewing a total solar eclipse, be sure you do it safely. Don’t be blinded by scammers. Viewing the eclipse with phony viewers could be the last real view of anything you’ll ever have. Stay safe!

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