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Comment by Uptrenda | Hacker News Reader

Gonna be honest. I feel that using those glasses that look like they were included in a cereal box as UV safety glasses is peak low IQ. Risking your eye sight which is supposed to last a life time to see a tiny black spot in the sky = not a good investment. Everyone has experienced complete darkness before. It happens every day... While footage of eclipses can be watched online. I wouldn't blame victims if their glasses didn't work. But the design of those crappy 'eclipse glasses' (with no backing at the sides to protect peripheral vision)... indicates manufacturers don't give a crap about protecting vision.

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Have to disagree with this.

There are a number of paper glasses made in the USA with quality solar filters that meet the ISO standard.

There are also plenty of Chinese fakes out there that will fry your eyeballs - just like fake laser goggles, which is nothing new.

That's why it's important to buy quality glasses from an authorized distributor and that means not Amazon.

The material of the frame i.e. paper vs plastic has no relation to the quality of the filters in the glasses.

My daughters school supplies eclipse glasses, and when she got home she said her eyes hurt (but she’s a kinder so even just not blinking could be what’s going on)

Her school gave her Frey branded eclipse glasses, probably bought from this site which no longer lists them https://www.schoolspecialty.com/

They seem equal to our B&H glasses using the phone light, but it’s lacking the ISO logo (it does print the standard) nor does it have where it was made. Hopefully it’s okay, but I kind of expected schools to look for a validated distributor, and I’m not convinced this is one.

those glasses that look like they were included in a cereal box as UV safety glasses is peak low IQ

All you need is an ND filter to cut the brightness down to a fraction of what it normally is. The ND film doesn't need to be much, just not tinted.

Risking your eye sight which is supposed to last a life time to see a tiny black spot in the sky

I don't think anyone with glasses damaged their eyes, where are you getting this?

But the design of those crappy 'eclipse glasses' (with no backing at the sides to protect peripheral vision)

The light is all from one tiny source, if you're looking at it through glasses you don't need to worry about peripheral vision.

If you are worried about peripheral vision being exposed to the sun during the eclipse, why aren't you worried about it every other moment you're outside?

I feel the same way. I seem to be in the extreme minority in my family, however. I’m surprised more people aren’t more concerned.

It was overcast today where I live fortunately so it was basically a non event. I did however put on the cheap glasses and was surprised how poorly it fit ( like you said about side vision ).

Last time I made a pinhole camera cardboard box, which--while dramatically less cool to wear over my head--at least involved safety measures I was confident in.

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