Beware of fake eclipse-viewing glasses ahead of solar event
Experts warn would-be star watchers
Amazon has offered refunds on some solar eclipse glasses purchased via its site, citing concerns about consumer safety.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in the interests of our customers, we asked third-party sellers that were offering solar eclipse glasses to provide documentation to verify their products were compliant with relevant safety standards,” explained Amazon, in a statement emailed to Fox News. “The offers from sellers who provided this safety documentation remain available to customers. The listings from sellers who did not provide the appropriate documentation have been removed and customers who purchased from them were notified last week.”
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Customers can contact Amazon customer service with any questions or concerns, the company added.
Excitement is mounting for the total solar eclipse that will be visible across a swatch of the U.S. on Aug. 21. The eclipse, which will be visible for about two-and-a-half minutes, will cut a roughly 70-mile path from Oregon to South Carolina.
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Experts, however, are warning eclipse watchers about the risks to vision posed by the rare event, and have highlighted the importance of effective eye protection.
The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has warned that the market is being flooded by counterfeit eclipse glasses that are labeled as if they're compliant with the international safety standard for filters enabling direct viewing of the Sun, but in fact are not. The AAS has published information to help consumers ensure that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar filters are safe.
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NASA has also issued a solar eclipse safety warning. “The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as ‘eclipse glasses’ or hand-held solar viewers,” it said, in its solar eclipse safety guidelines. “Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the Sun.”
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