New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued a consumer alert ahead of the total solar eclipse urging New Yorkers to ensure any solar viewing glasses they purchase are properly certified. Large parts of New York state, including Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and Central New York, will be within the total eclipse path on April 8, and other regions, including the Hudson Valley and the New York City metro area, will experience a partial solar eclipse. Legitimate solar eclipse glasses should have an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification on the frame. It is important for everyone viewing the eclipse to wear protective solar viewing glasses for their safety. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has received complaints of last-minute cancellations by hotels for reservations made months prior. Attorney General James encourages anyone experiencing similar last-minute hotel cancellations to contact her office.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recommends that anyone viewing the eclipse use certified solar viewing glasses because of the powerful energy emitted by the sun. Only legitimate solar eclipse glasses have special-purpose filters to protect your eyes. Attorney General James urges New Yorkers planning to view the solar eclipse to take the following steps to ensure the solar eclipse glasses they are using are legitimate to protect themselves:
- Make sure the solar eclipse glasses you purchase are registered as a ‘Solar Viewer Brand’ with the American Astronomical Society.
- Test the solar eclipse glasses ahead of time. The American Astronomical Society saysthat when wearing legitimate solar eclipse glasses indoors, objects should be hardly visible, and when worn outdoors, objects except the sun’s reflection on shiny surfaces should still be hard to see.
- Be sure your glasses are marked with the international safety standard certification number ISO 12312-2. This number will be on the glasses’ frame.
- If you already own glasses marked with the international safety standard certification, inspect them to make sure the filters aren’t scratched, torn, loose in the frame, or damaged in any way. If any of these conditions are present, replace the glasses with a new, certified pair.
- Read information on how to safely use handheld viewers on the American Astronomical Society’s website.
- Ordinary sunglasses cannot be used as a replacement for eclipse viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers.
- If viewing the eclipse through a camera or telescope, be sure your lens has a solar filter. Follow tips provided by NASA on how to safely photograph the solar eclipse.
Attorney General James encourages New Yorkers to report any seller selling fake or solar eclipse glasses to her office by filing a complaint online.
