New Jersey Library Apologizes for Giving Out Solar Eclipse Glasses That 'May Be Counterfeit'

NASA has been clear that “it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing" during an eclipse

• The Moorestown Library in New Jersey has apologized for distributing solar eclipse glasses that "may be counterfeit"

• The announcement came just hours before the eclipse occurred on Monday, April 8

• The glasses were purchased from Walmart.com, where third-party vendors can sell products that are not necessarily ISO compliant

A New Jersey library has apologized for potentially distributing counterfeit solar eclipse glasses.

The Moorestown Library announced that the glasses given out there “may be counterfeit” in a Facebook post shared just hours before the eclipse began on April 8.

NASA has been clear that “it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing” during an eclipse.

Related: N.Y.C. Resident Calls Solar Eclipse 'Super Overhyped' and Gives It 3 Out of 5 Stars: 'Not Impressed'

The glasses distributed by the library “were purchased from Walmart.com” and were labeled as being “manufactured by Medical King,” according to the irFacebook post.

“We advise against using these,” the library said, “and apologize profusely for the error.”

Real and safe solar eclipse glasses will be labeled with “ISO 12312-2” or a similar variation, according to the American Astronomical Society.

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Eclipse glasses from Medical King are listed as safe for solar eclipse viewing by the AAS, but the society warned that products sold by third-party vendors through approved websites may not necessarily be ISO compliant.

Eclipse glasses or a safe handheld solar viewer must be used “at all times” by those who wish to directly view a partial or total solar eclipse, according to NASA.

The only time the glasses can come off is “during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face.”

Those who view an eclipse without proper eye protection can be subject to serious eye injuries.

Related: When Is the Next Solar Eclipse in the United States? All About Its Rare Visibility from Earth

Millions of people across North America witnessed the April 8 solar eclipse. The path of totality stretched from Texas to Maine.

The next total solar eclipse will not occur in the United States until 2044, when just three states — Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota — are currently predicted to sit in the path of totality.

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