Q: According to reports about the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, no one should look directly at the sun. Are ordinary sunglasses safe or are there special solar eclipse glasses? If special glasses are necessary, where can you get them?
—Kathy McDonough, Peachtree Corners
A: Ordinary sunglasses are not safe if you plan to watch the eclipse directly, according to the NASA website dedicated to the eclipse (eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety).
“The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters,” such as eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers, NASA noted.
When purchasing special eclipse glasses, NASA and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) say it’s important to make sure they meet authenticity standards.
The AAS has certified five manufacturers of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers: American Paper Optics (eclipseglasses.com), Rainbow Symphony (rainbowsymphony.com/eclipse-glasses), Thousand Oaks Optical (thousandoaksoptical.com/products/eclipse) and TSE 17 (tse17.com/eclipse-shop). Baader Planetarium also has been certified, but for AstroSolar Silver/Gold film only.
The glasses should have certification information (ISO 12312-2 international standard) and the manufacturer’s name and address printed on them. They should not have lens that are scratched or wrinkled, and should not be older than three years, according to NASA and AAS.
In addition to manufacturer websites, glasses can be purchased at Eclipse2017.org and Amazon.com, the AJC has previously reported.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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