Amazon is offering a refund to customers who bought counterfeit eclipse glasses to watch the solar eclipse next week. The retail giant says the glasses may not come from a recommended manufacturer.
On Aug. 21, people will be flocking to parts of the United States to watch as the sun disappears behind the moon. The rare solar eclipse will span from South Carolina to Oregon and last up to three hours, according to NASA.
Many people have bought protective eyewear on Amazon, as you need the glasses in order to look directly up at the sky while the eclipse happens (or else you can permanently damage your eyes). However, Amazon has not been able to verify all of the glasses comply with industry standards and are from reputable sources. The company issued some customers refunds last week.
RELATED – Why you absolutely cannot stare at the sun without eclipse glasses
“Out of an abundance of caution and in the interests of our customers, we asked third-party sellers that were offering solar eclipse glasses to provide documentation to verify their products were compliant with relevant safety standards,” an Amazon spokesperson told Global News.
What glasses should you buy?
If you’re still looking for some protective eyewear (or need to replace yours), the American Astronomical Society has a list of reputable vendors of solar eclipse glasses.
According to NASA, the eye gear must have certification, with a “designated ISO 12312-2 international standard”. The company who created the product and its contact information should be clearly printed on the glasses.
ISO 12312-2:2015 applies to all afocal (plano power) products intended for direct observation of the sun, such as solar eclipse viewing.
Source: Global News
