The American Astronomical Society has issued a warning about the presence of fake and counterfeit solar eclipse glasses in the market, just over two weeks before a major solar eclipse is set to occur on Monday, April 8. The issue has arisen from unidentified factories in China producing counterfeit eclipse glasses bearing the name and address of a different Chinese factory. These glasses are printed with the Qiwei logo and artwork of Cangnan County Qiwei Craft Co, a factory known for producing safe products, as well as the logo of Qiwei’s North American distributor, Solar Eclipse International, Canada (SEIC).
While previous counterfeit solar eclipse glasses have been deemed safe, the latest counterfeits are not. Some of these fake products closely resemble genuine Qiwei glasses but provide inadequate protection for solar viewing, being no darker than regular sunglasses. Authentic solar eclipse glasses are required to be at least 10,000 times darker than sunglasses to ensure safe viewing of the sun.
To verify the authenticity of eclipse glasses, individuals are advised to consult the Suppliers of Safe Solar Filters & Viewers list on the AAS website. If already in possession of eclipse glasses, a series of tests can be conducted to determine their safety. If doubts persist regarding the glasses' safety, it is recommended to use them sparingly.
In the lead-up to the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, a similar issue arose with counterfeit eclipse glasses flooding the market, prompting Amazon to ban sales of such products. Many of these glasses were falsely labeled as ISO-compliant without undergoing proper testing.
For the latest updates on the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, individuals are encouraged to stay informed through daily articles. Clear skies and safe viewing are wished for all observers.
