With the historic North American whole photo voltaic eclipse only a few weeks away, astronomy consultants are warning skygazers to be looking out for counterfeit and faux eclipse viewing glasses.A launch by the American Astronomical Society, or AAS, mentioned counterfeit and faux photo voltaic viewers at the moment are “polluting {the marketplace}” and shared tips about methods to inform the distinction between protected photo voltaic eclipse glasses and those who may trigger hurt to individuals’s eyes.“As just lately as March 11, the American Astronomical Society Photo voltaic Eclipse Job Drive hadn’t seen proof that any photo voltaic viewers being bought for the eclipse had been unsafe, however that has now modified,” the group said. “With hundreds of thousands of North Individuals solely now turning into conscious {that a} photo voltaic eclipse is imminent and searching for to get their arms on eye safety, it’s crucial that everybody perceive methods to spot unsafe merchandise.”In response to the assertion, counterfeit photo voltaic viewers are made by one producer however fraudulently printed with the title and art work of a unique producer. Whereas counterfeits could or will not be protected, fakes are any glasses misleadingly bought as eclipse glasses that aren’t protected for wanting on the solar.True protected photo voltaic viewers are at the very least 1,000 instances darker than sun shades, blocking all however a fraction of the solar’s mild. This degree of safety is important for watching any a part of a photo voltaic eclipse besides the transient part of totality, as a result of overexposure to daylight could cause extreme eye damage, from briefly impaired imaginative and prescient to everlasting blindness.So, methods to inform protected photo voltaic viewers from ones that might be dangerous?First, if you happen to nonetheless want photo voltaic viewers, you’ll find an inventory of expert-vetted suppliers right here. If you have already got eclipse glasses, you’ll be able to test their security by performing the next three checks previous to the day of the eclipse, in response to the AAS:Step 1: Put in your photo voltaic viewers indoors. Wanting round, you shouldn’t be capable to see something by them, besides maybe very vivid lights, which ought to solely seem very faint. In the event you can see anything, comparable to family furnishings, your glasses aren’t darkish sufficient for photo voltaic viewing.Step 2: In case your glasses cross the indoor check, put them on whereas exterior on a sunny day and go searching once more. You continue to shouldn’t see something by them, besides maybe the solar’s reflection off a shiny floor or a puddle, which once more ought to seem very faint.Step 3: In case your glasses cross that check, too, look on the solar by them for lower than one second. It’s best to see a sharp-edged, spherical disk that’s comfortably vivid and, relying on the glasses, seems white, bluish white, yellow or orange.In case your glasses cross all three checks, they’re almost certainly protected — however if you happen to aren’t utterly assured of their security, AAS consultants advise you employ them sparingly, utilizing them to have a look at the eclipse for no quite a lot of seconds each 5 minutes or so.You’ll be able to be taught rather more about eclipse security and discover alternate options to eclipse glasses, together with oblique viewing strategies, on-line at eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety.