<\/div>\n
Related article<\/span> Here\u2019s what can happen when you view an eclipse incorrectly \u2014 and how to avoid that this April<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The lenses of solar eclipse glasses are made of black polymer, or resin infused with carbon particles, that blocks nearly all visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, according to The Planetary Society. And sunglasses won\u2019t work in place of eclipse glasses or solar viewers. <\/p>\n
\u201cSunglasses, smoked glass, unfiltered telescopes or magnifiers, and polarizing filters are unsafe. Inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use \u2014 if torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device,\u201d according to a release by the American Optometric Association. <\/p>\n
Looking at the sun without properly made eclipse glasses can result in severe eye injury, from temporary vision impairment to permanent blindness. But the AAS has discovered the production of fraudulent eclipse glasses that won\u2019t provide the necessary protection needed to view the sun safely without incurring eye damage. <\/p>\n
The counterfeit glasses might be hard to spot because they include information and even original artwork that suggest they were made by a known reputable manufacturer of the products, but different factories that have yet to be identified actually made them, according to the AAS. <\/p>\n
\u201cUntil recently, the only counterfeit products we knew of were cardboard-frame eclipse glasses made by an unidentified factory in China but printed with \u2018Mfg. by: American Paper Optics\u2019 (APO) on them,\u201d the AAS shared in a news release. \u201cAPO is one of the major U.S. manufacturers of safe solar viewers and prints its name and address on its eclipse glasses, whereas the Chinese copycat products have APO\u2019s name but not its address. Thankfully, these particular counterfeits appear to be safe.\u201d <\/p>\n
But close tracking by the AAS has revealed that more unidentified factories are producing counterfeit glasses printed with the name and address of a Chinese factory called Cangnan County Qiwei Craft Co., which creates safe products. Some of the fake glasses also include the name or logo of Solar Eclipse International, Canada, which is Qiwei\u2019s North American distributor. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
Related article<\/span> Whether you\u2019re using a fancy camera or a smartphone, here\u2019s how to take great eclipse photos<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n While some of the glasses appear to be safe and are virtually indistinguishable from actual Qiwei products, others have lenses about as dark as sunglasses, which means they aren\u2019t safe to use, according to the AAS. <\/p>\n
\u201cFilters that provide safe, comfortable views of the Sun generally transmit between 1 part in 100,000 (0.001%) and 1 part in 2,000,000 (0.00005%) of its visible light,\u201d said Rick Fienberg, project manager of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force, in a statement. \u201cSolar filters are at least 1,000 times darker than even the darkest regular sunglasses.\u201d <\/p>\n
The AAS has curated a list of safe manufacturers and resellers of eclipse glasses and filters for optical devices, including cameras and smartphones. The AAS task force for the eclipse has confirmed that solar viewers and glasses made by all known manufacturers of the products in the US and across Europe, as well as some Chinese manufacturers, have been tested in a lab. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe now recommend that if you want to buy solar viewers online, buy only from sites you reach by clicking on the links from our list, or from a seller whose identity you can verify and whose name appears on our list,\u201d according to the AAS. \u201cWe recommend not buying eclipse glasses from random sellers in online marketplaces, even if they claim to get their products from a supplier on our list or to be approved by the AAS or NASA. The U.S. space agency doesn\u2019t approve or endorse commercial products, so any claim to the contrary is a warning sign that you\u2019re not dealing with a trustworthy seller. Similarly, if a vendor claims to be on the AAS suppliers list but you can\u2019t find it there, you shouldn\u2019t trust them.\u201d <\/p>\n
For those who didn\u2019t purchase their glasses directly from a vetted vendor on the list, there are ways to test eclipse glasses before April 8. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no way to tell just by looking at them whether eclipse glasses are genuinely safe,\u201d Fienberg said, \u201cbut it\u2019s easy to tell if they are not safe.\u201d <\/p>\n
Try on the glasses indoors first. Nothing should be visible through the lenses, and even the brightest lights should only appear very faintly. If furnishings or wall decor are visible through the lenses, these glasses aren\u2019t safe to view the sun. <\/p>\n
But if the glasses pass the indoor test, the AAS recommends putting them on outside during a sunny day and looking around. Again, nothing should be visible through the lenses, unless the sun is reflecting off an exceptionally shiny surface, and even then the light will appear faint if the glasses are safe. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
Related article<\/span> Total solar eclipse in 2017 drew a brief surge in traffic accidents, analysis shows<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n If the glasses pass that second test, try looking at the sun through them for less than a second. If the glasses are safe, the sun will appear comfortably bright and likely white, yellow, orange or bluish white. <\/p>\n
On the day of the eclipse, stand still and cover your eyes with the glasses or solar viewer before looking up. And never remove the glasses while looking at the sun. For those who wear eyeglasses, wear eclipse glasses on top of them or hold up a handheld viewer in front of them. <\/p>\n
And remember to outfit any camera lenses, binoculars or telescopes used to observe the eclipse with the proper solar filters. Never look through an unfiltered optical device of any kind in this situation, even while wearing eclipse glasses. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s only safe to view the eclipse without eye protection when the moon completely blocks the sun from view and no light is visible \u2014 and be sure to put your eclipse glasses back on before any light reappears. <\/p>\n
Looking at the sun without proper eye protection can result in solar retinopathy, or retinal damage from exposure to solar radiation. While the highly specialized cells inside our eyes don\u2019t feel any pain, the rods and cones and photochemical reactors become inflamed and damaged when looking at the sun, said Ronald Benner, an optometrist and president of the American Optometric Association. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a bit like the effect that occurs when we see a camera flash go off, which can distort our vision for a few minutes before it goes away. But the intensity of solar retinopathy causes permanent damage that won\u2019t be immediately apparent. Overnight, the cells can die, and they won\u2019t be replaced. There is no treatment for solar retinopathy. It can improve or worsen, but it is a permanent condition. <\/p>\n
The changes in a person\u2019s vision depend on the type of damage that is done, and these can occur in one or both eyes. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe retina is an extension of the brain, so it\u2019s actually neurological tissue, and when you damage that, it doesn\u2019t always come back,\u201d Benner said. \u201cIf you damage one cell, that cell may never be the same. But if you damage a group of cells, then you\u2019re going to end up with blotchy vision, like having someone dab oil on your windshield. If you just kind of damage them and they don\u2019t completely die, then color vision is going to be altered. What can you do about it? Absolutely nothing other than prevent it.\u201d <\/p>\n
If the damage occurs in the center of someone\u2019s vision, it can affect the ability to read or recognize faces, Benner said. <\/p>\n
If you experience vision issues or eye discomfort after viewing the eclipse, Benner recommends booking an appointment immediately using the American Optometric Association\u2019s doctor locator. Symptoms may take hours to a few days to manifest, and they include loss of central vision, altered color vision or distorted vision. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
Related article<\/span> Why the 2024 eclipse will be a different experience from 2017<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cFor most people, it\u2019s an alteration of color vision,\u201d Benner said. \u201cThe next morning, colors just don\u2019t look right, or it may be bleached out it or just kind of hazy all the time. For others, it may be that they actually have holes in their vision.\u201d <\/p>\n
And always keep an eye on children wearing eclipse glasses to make sure they don\u2019t take them off and look directly at the sun. Benner advises that parents talk to their children on how and when they can view the eclipse and when they can take their glasses on and off. And if parents worry that their kids may take off their glasses at the wrong moment, make plans to watch the eclipse on TV or use the pinhole projection method to view the eclipse indirectly. <\/p>\n
\u201cMake sure that you\u2019re protecting not just yourself, but more importantly your children,\u201d Benner said. \u201cIf your child experiences eye damage, they have to live with it the rest of their life. And they may not be able to tell you, \u2018I\u2019m not seeing clearly out of one eye.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n
This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the total solar eclipse, occurring across Mexico, the United States and Canada on April 8, draws near, experts are reminding spectators to grab a pair of eclipse glasses to view the celestial event safely \u2014 and to make sure they aren\u2019t fake. Counterfeit eclipse glasses are \u201cpolluting the marketplace,\u201d according to a release shared <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":17406,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-17405","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}