Warning to Missouri About Fake Eclipse Glasses that Can Blind You

As we get closer to the total solar eclipse that will cross the southern parts of Missouri Monday afternoon, you need to make sure the eclipse glasses you have are safe. There are stern warnings about fakes that could leave you and/or your family blind.

Missouri is one of the states where there are reports of fake eclipse glasses being sold. CNET shared some very helpful things you can do to make sure that your protective eyewear does its job on April 8, 2024. Here are some key things to keep in mind:

Do not trust what the packaging says

Just because the wrapper your eclipse glasses came in says they are "trusted" or "certified" doesn't mean they are. The standard needs to say specifically ISO 12312-2, but even if the label says that, there are simple things you can do to check.

If you're going to witness the solar eclipse in Missouri, get the glasses out and don't wear them, but hold them up next to a light behind a lamp shade. If you can see the light, then those glasses are not safe and will not protect you from the sun. 

You can also put the eclipse glasses on inside and you should not see anything except very bright lights which should be very faint.

The warning report from the AAS about fake eclipse glasses says that one of the fraudulent and dangerous eclipse glasses say "Mfg. by: American Paper Optics".

The AAS eye safety page is a great guide to make sure your eclipse glasses don't cause you permanent visual harm.