Eclipse Glasses Recall: Potentially Hazardous Glasses Pulled By Amazon, Libraries

Amazon — and several Illinois libraries that distributed glasses purchased on the website — has issued a recall on potentially hazardous counterfeit eclipse glasses. The company said it was unable to confirm whether some glasses sold were, in fact, made by a NASA-approved manufacturer. The recall has prompted libraries in Oak Brook and Glencoe to issue a similar recall and warning to patrons.

NASA and the American Astronomical Society have urged eclipse-watchers to use glasses made only by certain manufacturers that contain the number “ISO 12312-2" and warned people about the dangers of counterfeit glasses — including some sold on Amazon.

On Saturday, Amazon began notifying customers that it was pulling some glasses out of an abundance of caution, saying, “Amazon has not received confirmation from the supplier of your order that they sourced the item from a recommended manufacturer. We recommend that you DO NOT use this product to view the sun or the eclipse.”

This week, the Village of Oak Brook notified residents that some glasses sold by the Oak Brook Public Library might not meet international safety standards. The library purchased the lot of glasses from Amazon.A similar recall was announced Wednesday in Glencoe.

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Fake glasses can damage the retina and cause permanent damage, according to NASA, which says you can be sure you're getting the real deal if you buy eclipse glasses directly from these manufacturers:

• Rainbow Symphony
• American Paper Optics
• Thousand Oaks Optical
• TSE 17
• Baader Planetarium

photo from Rutgers University

Editor's note: The story incorrectly said glasses issued by the Oak Park library had been recalled; the recalled glasses were in fact issued by the Oak Brook library. We apologize for the error.