April 11, 2024
Ty Wright/USA TODAY NETWORK
Solar eclipse glasses distributed by the Moorestown Library may have been counterfeits. The Medical King glasses were bought on Walmart.com but appear to have been manufactured by scammers, the library said.
The Moorestown Library in Burlington County sent out an alert Monday warning that the solar eclipse glasses it had distributed for the celestial event may have been counterfeit.
A few hours before the eclipse became viewable in the region — for those lucky enough to escape cloud cover — the library posted a message on Facebook apologizing for the apparent mistake. The glasses had been purchased from Walmart.com.
"We have recently learned that though they are labeled as having been manufactured by Medical King, they may be counterfeit," the library said. "We advise against using these and apologize profusely for the error."
Safely viewing the eclipse required specialized shades thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses in order to block infrared and ultraviolet light that can potentially damage the retina permanently within seconds of exposure.
The library shared a link to a CNET article that explains how to double check the authenticity of glasses and properly test them visually. Legitimate glasses for the eclipse should make essentially anything other than the sun too dark to see. The sun should have a yellow appearance with no noticeable strain on the eyes and a level of brightness similar to the moon at night.
The American Astronomical Society had warned in March that scammers would likely take advantage of the eclipse by producing and distributing fake glasses. The organization found evidence that some manufacturers were reproducing the logos of legitimate vendors and using fake stickers certifying compliance with safety standards.
Google searches for eye pain and other symptoms spiked in states that were in the path of the eclipse on Monday and in the days that followed. Some of the most common symptoms of possible eye damage from the eclipse include distorted vision, changes in color perception, blurred vision and headaches.
AAS has a list of approved vendors that people can reference to check whether manufacturers have been vetted, but that doesn't guarantee a pair of glasses isn't a counterfeit.
One commenter on the library's Facebook post said she called a lab to have her Medical King glasses tested after she also had ordered them from Walmart. She said the lab wanted to charge her $1,200-$1,500 for the service.
"I'll just have to wait and see whether I eventually go blind," the woman said.
