The American Astronomical Society today warned that fake and counterfeit solar eclipse glasses have infiltrated the market in North America.
The warning comes just over two weeks before Monday, April 8, when the partial phases of a major solar eclipse will be seen across North America, with a total solar also visible in parts of Mexico, 15 U.S. states and Canada.
Chinese Factories
The problem stems from one or more unidentified factories in China that are now producing counterfeit eclipse glasses printed with the name and address of a different Chinese factory, according to the AAS. They bear the Qiwei logo and artwork of both Cangnan County Qiwei Craft Co—a factory known to manufacture safe products—as well as the logo of Qiwei’s principal North American distributor, Solar Eclipse International, Canada (SEIC), said the AAS.
The revelation comes just days after a reassuring statement from the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force reporting that no unsafe solar eclipse glasses and solar viewers had been discovered.
Counterfeit Vs. Fake
The terms “counterfeit” and “fake” shouldn’t be used interchangeably. Counterfeit refers to a fraudulent business practice whereby products are made by one manufacturer but printed with the name of a different manufacturer. Fake refers to products that are potentially unsafe.
Although counterfeit solar eclipses have been spotted before, they’ve so far appeared to be safe, said the AAS. That’s not the case with these latest counterfeits.
Serious Problem
“Some of these newly identified counterfeits are indistinguishable from genuine Qiwei products and appear to be safe,” said the AAS. “Others look like Qiwei’s eclipse glasses, but when you put them on, you realize they are no darker than ordinary sunglasses.” That’s a serious problem because solar eclipse glasses and viewers are 10,000 times darker than sunglasses.“These products are not just counterfeit, but also fake—they’re sold as eclipse glasses, but they are not safe for solar viewing,” said the AAS. Solar filters are at least 1,000 times darker than even the darkest regular sunglasses.
How To Check Your Solar Eclipse Glasses
The best way to check if a company selling eclipse glasses is known to deal in ISO-certified products is to check the Suppliers of Safe Solar Filters & Viewers list on the AAS website.
But what if you already have some? Here’s how to know if they’re safe:
- Put them on indoors and look around—you shouldn’t be able to see anything through them.
- Then put them on outside on a sunny day—you still shouldn’t see anything through them.
- Then glance at the sun for less than a second. It should be comfortably bright.
“If your glasses pass all three tests, they are probably safe,” reads the AAS advice. “But if you aren’t completely confident of the safety of your eclipse glasses, you should use them sparingly.”
Days before the last total solar eclipse in the U.S. on August 21, 2017, controversy erupted around counterfeit eclipse glasses, with Amazon banning all sales. Many solar eclipse glasses were being imported from China and labeled as ISO-compliant without being properly tested.
For the latest on all aspects of April 8’s total solar eclipse in North America, check my main feed for new articles each day.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Read the full article here
