Are your solar eclipse glasses safe?

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- You may have eclipse glasses, but how do you know if they're safe?

On Thursday morning, crowds of people came in bulk and mass at the Kentucky State Fair to get their hands on a pair of good WDRB eclipse glasses. Wanda Ernst and Linda Thompson were among the crowd at the WDRB booth.

"We've been looking everywhere," Thompson said. "I went to Kroger, Walmart, trying to find a pair, and they was all sold out."

"I was trying to get some for us and our grandchildren," Ernst said.

They, like so many others, had recently been burned by pseudo-shades.

"Got us five pairs, and not even two hours later they recalled them back," Thompson said.

Amazon's recall impacted thousands, and faulty glasses sold at some stores left many in doubt.

"I didn't think it would be like that," Thompson said. "Who would make fake glasses and give them to people knowing they could blind people?"

The four words everyone should know: Read the fine print.

The American Astronomical Society, backed by NASA, authored a list of reputable solar viewer brands.

You can view the list by CLICKING HERE.

Look for the name and address of one of the 15 manufacturers on the inside of your glasses, along with the ISO number, 12312-2.

Ernst said her faulty glasses did not have an ISO number of them and said, "Made in China."

Safe glasses come with a special lens made with millar. When you put them on, the view should be completely black until you look at the sun. Ophthalmologist Brennan Greene said it's a real concern, noting that the wrong glasses can cause your pupils to dilate, allowing more of the damaging rays to enter your eyes.

"Unfortunately, there are no treatments," he said. "And if you lose your sight for staring at the sun, you are not getting it back."

WDRB's glasses are safe, made by a reputable manufacturer. Now equipped with safe glasses, Ernst and Thompson said they're off to witness history Monday.

"Something I'll never see," Thompson said.

To view a list of reputable solar viewer brands, as well as reputable stores and online retailers selling them, CLICK HERE.

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