How to tell if your solar eclipse glasses are fake
As Ontarians prepare for Monday’s solar eclipse, many are discovering that the solar viewing glasses they have purchased may not be safe.
Recently, Amazon issued a recall for certain eclipse glasses that have not been approved by the American Astronomical Society, and warns anyone who received the recall not to use the glasses during the eclipse.
The posting had title variations including the following: “Solar Eclipse Glasses Approved 2024, CE and ISO Certified Solar Eclipse Observation Glasses, Sun Viewing for Solar Eclipse”.
Carleton Place resident Joanne MacDonald also fears she received unsafe eclipse glasses after seeing her pair in a television news segment.
"There was a segment on glasses for the solar eclipse that are not good,” MacDonald told CTV News Ottawa. “The pair they held up were exactly the same pair that were purchased in Perth."
MacDonald says her glasses were purchased at the Home Hardware store in Perth, Ont.
Home Hardware declined an interview but told CTV News Ottawa it stands by the product and was sold out of the glasses at the Perth location.
"In this case, Perth Home Hardware Building Centre bought these glasses from a manufacturer called WC Smith. They have provided certification documents ensuring these glasses are up to standard and that the ISO number stamp is legitimate," a spokesperson for Home Hardware said in an email to CTV News on Saturday.
"Perth Home Hardware Building Centre did their due diligence by ensuring that the manufacturer who sold them these glasses was credible, had the documentation required to meet safety standards, and double checked the ISO stamp on all of the glasses sold in the store."
Many glasses, including the ones sold at the Perth Home Hardware, advertise being "NASA-approved," but NASA says it does not approve any particular brand of solar viewer.
"[They have] the eclipse on the side, and it showed the date and it said approved by NASA,” said MacDonald. “And [the report] said those were the ones that were not good glasses."
So, how can you know if your eclipse glasses are safe for viewing Monday’s solar eclipse?
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has published a list of approved solar viewer manufacturers.
The AAS also says a simple test can be done inside before viewing the sun with your glasses. When worn indoors, the AAS says users should not be able to see anything through the lenses.
All safe viewing glasses must also have filtered lenses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.
The AAS warns that any company producing a knockoff product can print anything on their glasses, and urges buyers to check the brand is on their approved list.
With eclipse glasses in such high demand, and without an approved set, MacDonald fears she may miss out on this once in a lifetime event.
"Well, my concern is eye damage. I don't want to take any chances,” said MacDonald.
CTV News Ottawa will have special live coverage of Monday's solar eclipse.
Watch CTVNewsOttawa.ca from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on April 8. You can also tune in to Newstalk 580 CFRA for continuing coverage.
CTV News will have coverage from Kingston, Brockville, Ottawa and the Niagara Region.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump returns to his campaign facing a warning of jail time if he violates a trial gag order
Donald Trump on Wednesday will use a one-day break from his hush money trial to rally voters in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan, a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when provincial fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Newfoundland fisherman says police broke his leg during protest that delayed budget
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
A 98-year-old in Ukraine walked miles to safety from Russians, with slippers and a cane
A 98-year-old woman in Ukraine who escaped Russian-occupied territory by walking almost 10 kilometres (six miles) alone, wearing a pair of slippers and supported by a cane has been reunited with her family days after they were separated while fleeing to safety.
Will an 'out of sight, out of mind' cellphone policy make a difference in Ontario schools?
Ontario’s cellphone ban in schools has been met with mixed reaction, with some teachers concerned about constant policing of kids and experts applauding the change as necessary for student learning.
A Utah couple accidentally shipped their cat with an Amazon return. A week -- and 3 'miracles' -- later, they were on a plane to meet a stranger
The Amazon returns employee wasn't at work the day one of her colleagues at a California warehouse found a small, furry stowaway in a box mailed six days earlier from Utah. But Brandy Hunter got the call anyway.
Duelling protesters clash at UCLA hours after police clear pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia
Dueling groups of protesters clashed Wednesday at the University of California, Los Angeles, grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another. Hours earlier, police burst into a building at Columbia University that pro-Palestinian protesters took over and broke up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school while inspiring others.