Illinois warns of recall of glasses sold on Amazon in stores – NBC Chicago

According to a report by NBC affiliate WHEC in Rochester, New York, some people who bought the recalled glasses from Amazon received an email from the online marketplace, saying that the glasses are not actually safe for viewing the eclipse, and that the label on the packaging says “AAS Approved.” Not true actually.

“Dear Amazon Customer, We are writing to inform you that there are potential safety concerns regarding the product you purchased on Amazon.com,” Read the email partially. Affected Product: 2024 Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Certified – CE and ISO Approved Safe Shades for Direct Viewing of the Sun (6 Pack). The above product is not included on the American Astronomical Society's list of safe suppliers for solar eclipse viewers and filters and therefore may not be Safe for viewing solar eclipses.

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The memo suggested that customers who purchased the glasses should not use them to view the solar eclipse on Monday.

An Amazon spokesperson told the news station in a statement that the notifications were made “out of an abundance of caution.”

“We constantly monitor our store for non-compliant products, and when we discover that a product was not detected by our proactive checks, we immediately address the issue and improve our controls,” the statement read in part. “If customers have concerns about an item they have purchased, we encourage them to contact our customer service directly so we can answer any questions they may have. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers.”

How to tell if your solar eclipse glasses are working or not

According to the Adler PlanetariumViewing a solar eclipse without proper glasses can cause irreparable eye damage within seconds, since your eyes lack the nerve endings to register pain when it occurs.

Furthermore, your pupils will be more dilated during an eclipse, allowing more harmful rays to enter your eyes than on a normal sunny day.

Regular sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for viewing the eclipse.

With the risk of irreparable eye damage if viewing the eclipse without protection, it is important to ensure that the solar eclipse glasses used are not fake.

But there's no real way to spot real vs. fake glasses just by looking at them.

“If the glasses are fake, they might look good, because they're probably dark enough that it looks like you can safely look at the sun. But what you don't know is that they allow ultraviolet rays through and the Adler Planetarium's public observation director, Michelle Nichols, said. “That's the thing I would worry about more than anything else.”

Detecting real and counterfeit products becomes more difficult when companies promote unsubstantiated or inaccurate safety claims.

“Just be careful and don't just assume they're safe glasses because in reality anyone could write them off,” she said.

If you're still wondering how to know if your glasses will give you the right protection, here's the trick according to experts:

“When you wear glasses, you shouldn't be able to see anything,” Dr. Neena Goyal, an ophthalmologist at Rush University Medical Center, told NBC in Chicago. “It's a flexible resin that contains carbon particles, which is the only thing you should be able to see.” “. Able to see what comes out of it is the orange glow of the sun. “Do not use sunglasses, do not wear sunglasses, and do not use smoked glass.”

Experts suggest purchasing solar eclipse glasses through suppliers It is considered “safe” by the American Astronomical Society.

The association's listing provides links to “select suppliers of solar screens and filters that you can trust are safe when used properly.”

“These include companies and organizations that members deal with AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force They are well experienced as well as other companies and organizations that have proven to our satisfaction that the products they sell meet special safety requirements International standard ISO 12312-2“, the menu says.

However, the association notes that its list is not comprehensive, and that glasses not listed on the site may still be safe. They don't recommend using Amazon, eBay, Temu, or other online marketplaces to find the lowest-priced options.

“Before you purchase a solar projector or filter online, we recommend that you make sure you (1) identify the seller on the site and (2) list the seller on this page,” the association states.

Here are the key points for finding legitimate eclipse glasses:

• When purchasing eclipse glasses, look for an approved manufacturer on the Astronomical Society website and make sure the glasses have the numbers ISO 1-2-3-1-2- 2 printed on the inside.
• You can find a list of safe solar projectors and filters suppliers here.
• If you still have your glasses from the 2017 eclipse, you may be able to reuse them. But this is only if it is not bent, torn or scratched.

Some museums and stores in the Chicago area also offer free solar eclipse glasses and viewers while supplies last.

• Solar filters: If you want to use a telescope, binoculars, or camera, do not use them without protection even if you have safe eclipse glasses. Consult the manufacturer for a suitable filter to connect to your device.
• Hole Viewer: This is a simple and inexpensive way to view the eclipse indirectly. Just take two sheets of white paper (cardstock is best) and make a hole in the middle of one sheet. With your back to the sun, hold the paper with the hole above the other paper and adjust it until you see a point of light. This is the sun! When the moon moves across the sun, a crescent will appear.