Fake Eclipse Glasses? What?
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
Eugene, Oregon
August 20, 2017 1:44pm CST
A while back, we decided to order a lot of twenty eclipse glasses and give some to my daughter, a neighbor and some of Anne's quilting group. I found a variety on Amazon and ordered them there.
We handed them out and then, within the last two weeks, I began seeing that Amazon and other retailers were offering refunds on some they had sold that were fake and unsafe to use. I took a good look at ours. There was a correct number on them, but that was easy to fake. The manufacturer was a bona fide maker of good ones. The name could be faked too. What an awful thing to counterfeit when viewers' eyes could be damaged!
Finally, on NPR's Science Friday, I got the word of a definitive test. You put the glasses on and look at a bright LED flashlight. We both tried this. You put on the glasses and can barely see a sun-drenched window.
Then, I hit the brightest setting on my LED flashlight. Through the glasses, I could actually see the little bulb that was putting out that bright light.
With that test, I am satisfied that our glasses are real. We will stay home and settle for the 99% of totality offered from our yard. I am more interested in seeing the effect on people and animals, including birds, than I am in the actual eclipse.
11 people like this
11 responses
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
20 Aug 17
You are lucky to be right in the path!. I am glad the glasses turned out to be the correct ones. I guess I will settle for seeing it on TV. I don't have the glasses and we will only be about 75 % apparently. Still interesting. My guess is that it does not affect animals.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Aug 17
I have heard that birds get very quiet and dogs get nervous. Crickets begin chirping as well. NASA's photos will be amazing to see.
2 people like this
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
20 Aug 17
@JamesHxstatic I will have to pay attention to the birds then.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
20 Aug 17
Almost 35 years ago, there was a total eclipse out here. We used traditional method to watch it...we used soot to darken it...if I remember right ..some glass was used and on it they applied some butteroil or was some oil burned and glass captured the soot..when placed above it...and then we held it without disturbing it...while watching the sun..but I did not watch it for long..our TV program also gave us the second by second images..found it silly to be holding the glass..
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Aug 17
TV would be the safest way and best picture too.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
20 Aug 17
If there is a way someone can fraudulently make money they will do it. Personally, I have no desire to watch the eclipse. I will stay in the house and not look at the sun while the eclipse is happening. This will be the 3rd eclipse during my lifetime.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Aug 17
I have seen a few too, so am not wild about it, but it is an interesting phenomenon, being so close to the totality part.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
20 Aug 17
@JamesHxstatic I suppose so, but it really doesn't interest me that much.
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
20 Aug 17
This eclipse should be something special. The last one similar to this across the U.S. was in 1979 according to Wikipedia.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Aug 17
Yes, it's been a while and it should get pretty dark here.
@allen0187 (59648)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
It is good that you have legit sunglasses. I would have been bummed if I got fake ones. The nerve of some people trying to pull a fast one over unsuspecting buyers.
@LovingMyBabies (85923)
• Valdosta, Georgia
20 Aug 17
I'm glad they were the real ones. :)
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Aug 17
I was worried since we gave some out. We told people how to test them yesterday.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43567)
• Denver, Colorado
20 Aug 17
That's good that you didn't get ripped off. Some people.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Aug 17
No kidding! I should not be surprised though.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Aug 17
Yes, it seems that humankind is anything but kind as a whole.













