Solar Eclipse: Don't Fall For Fake Eclipse Glasses

CARBONDALE, IL — Illinois has a front-row seat, so to speak, to the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse, with the longest duration — about two full minutes with the sun blocked out — expected near Carbondale. And if you're planning on watching the nearly once-in-a-lifetime show, you need to protect your eyes. But NASA is warning eclipse-watchers of phony glasses being sold that could put their vision at risk.

Some companies are taking advantage of the eclipse to make a quick buck, and fake glasses are flooding the market, according to NASA.

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Watch: Eye Protection Is Critical For Viewing The Solar Eclipse

NASA solar astrophysicist Alex Young told CBS that fake glasses can do real harm if they're used to watch the eclipse. “They damage the cells in your eyes, they damage your retinas and the damage can be permanent,” he said.

To protect your peepers during the Aug. 21 big event, NASA says you can be sure you're getting the real deal if you buy eclipse glasses from these manufacturers:

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

Buyers should also look for the certified ISO icon and the number 12312-2 on eclipse glasses to be sure they will properly block the light, Young said.

NASA warns eclipse-watchers against using homemade glasses and offers these safety tips to protect your eyes, since looking directly at the sun is never safe:

• Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter. Always supervise children using solar filters.
• Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
• Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical device. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.

AP Photo/Ariel Schalit