As the countdown for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, has begun, the public is being warned about the fake eclipse glasses that can cause temporary or permanent damage to your eyes.
It is of utmost priority that you view the solar eclipse only through eclipse glasses by major manufacturers that pass all the safety measures. Meanwhile, you can also spot fake glasses with three simple tests.
3 tests to spot fake solar eclipse glasses
While it’s not always easy to tell counterfeits and real eclipse glasses apart, the American Astronomical Society has shared three tests to find if the glasses you’re planning to view the eclipse with are safe or not.
- Indoor Test – Wear the eclipse glasses indoors and when you have them on, you shouldn’t be able to see anything through the lens except very bright lights, which must also appear faint.
If you see anything else such as furniture or paintings on the wall, it means the glasses aren’t safe enough to see the eclipse.
- Outdoor Test – Put on the same pair of glasses outdoors and you still shouldn’t be able to see anything through them, except the Sun’s reflection off a shiny surface or puddle. Even the reflection should appear faint.
- Glance at the Sun – The third and final test involves looking at the Sun directly through the eclipse glasses. All you should be able to see is a sharp-edged and round disk, which is the Sun’s “visible face” and it should appear “comfortably bright” and not too harsh on your eyes.
The above tests should help determine if the solar eclipse glasses are “probably safe”. However, if you’re sure of the same and for the safety of your own eyes, it’s best not to stare at the sun for too long.
How long should you look at the sun?
AAS recommends looking at the sun for not more than 2 or 3 seconds every 5 minutes or so when you’re viewing the eclipse through the lens or glasses that pass the safety test.
Furthermore, you should never view the celestial phenomenon through a magnifying glass while keeping your eclipse glasses on. The solar filter must be mounted in front of the camera lens, binoculars, or telescopes.
Project Manager of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force, Rick Fienberg says: “Staring at a partial solar eclipse for more than a few seconds at a time, even through perfectly safe solar viewers, isn’t much fun anyway.”
“It’s almost impossible to detect the Moon’s motion across the Sun in real time except with magnification, and you must never look through magnifying optics while wearing eclipse glasses,” he added.
