Library Reminds Caution in Use of Solar Eclipse Glasses (scroll down for links to Solar Eclipse Viewing Tips)
As our area prepares for Monday’s solar eclipse, sky watchers are reminded to practice safety and caution. Amazon recently recalled some solar eclipse glasses sold through its online marketplace.
The Estes Valley Library learned this week that the recall affected about two dozen solar glasses distributed at its August 2 “Solar Eclipse Spectacular” event. The Library immediately contacted all families who participated in the event.
Although the small batch of glasses that the library received from Amazon do carry the international safety standard number “ISO 12312-2”, that was not enough. Those glasses did not list a manufacturer’s name or contact information (see image below). Without that manufacturer’s name, Amazon concluded, “out of an abundance of caution”, that the glasses must be considered unsafe and discarded.
Click to view larger imageThe good news: the hundreds of glasses purchased for sharing at Monday’s Solar Eclipse Celebration at the Library, labeled “Eclipse Shades”, carry a manufacturer’s name, address, phone number, and website. The manufacturer’s name is verified on the safe lists of NASA and AAS’s websites.
This information may be helpful for others who purchased or acquired glasses from Amazon or other sources. These links below offer helpful information and fun facts for safe solar eclipse viewing:
Solar Filters and Viewers (American Astronomical Society)
“The Great American Eclipse Slide Show” (Estes Park Memorial Observatory)