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Profits seem to be eclipsing performance when it comes to some eyewear designed to let you look at the upcoming solar eclipse. FOX 4's Steve Noviello has advice for making sure the glasses you buy are the real deal.
There won't be anything different about the sun on Aug. 21. It won't be any stronger or have any more radiation. But millions of people will be looking directly at it and that will require a special kind of protection.
The first thing you need to look for is the ISO stamp. It's a quality management designation, which means the glasses are manufactured to meet a certain standard.
Anyone with a printer these days can create any kind of label they want. But there's another simple test to make sure your glasses are legit. When you look through them you shouldn't be able to see anything but the sun - no house lights, no headlights and no streetlights. If you can see anything else, toss the glasses.
Also, you should put your glasses on before looking at the sun and remove them after you look away. If you wear glasses, the eclipse glasses go over your normal lenses.
The American Astronomical Society has compiled a list of about a dozen trusted brands and several dozen vendors both in-store and online. The glasses should not be expensive. A higher price does not mean more quality.
Also, you can check with your local library. Many are giving away glasses.
LINKS:
facebook.com/savemesteve
eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters