People nationwide are rushing to buy eclipse glasses with just two weeks left before the historic Aug. 21 event.

But buyer beware.

The American Astronomical Society is warning on its website that the market is being flooded with counterfeit eclipse glasses.

The AAS previously advised people to look for evidence that the glasses comply with international safety standards for filters of direct viewing of the sun by ensuring the following was printed on the glasses: ISO 12312-2.

Related: Best places to watch the Great American eclipse.

But now the marketplace is being flooded bycounterfeit eclipse glassesthat are labeled as if theyre ISO-compliant when in fact they are not, AAS said.Even more unfortunately, unscrupulous vendors can grab the ISO logo off the internet and put it on their products and packaging even if their eclipse glasses or viewers havent been properly tested.

The American Astronomical Society says it is no longer enough to check for ISO certification on eclipse glasses. Make sure they come from a reputable vendor also.

You cannot watch the eclipse the first in 99 years to cross the entire U.S. without special glasses or you can do irreversible damage to your eyes, including going blind. Although the sun is no brighter during an eclipse than on a regular day, it is more comfortable to look at, meaning you can stare at it longer and damage your eyes.

Related: Your eyes will fry under normal sunglasses during eclipse.

Regular sun glasses are not enough to keep out the harmful rays of the sun.

What you absolutely shouldnotdo is search for eclipse glasses on the internet and buy whatever pops up in the ads or search results, AAS said.

AAS is now suggesting people ensure their glasses are ISO certified and come from reputable vendors that it has verified and listed on its website.

The manufacturers listed are ones the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force has had previous experience with as well as companies whose products have been certified safe by authorities we recognize and whose certification we have confirmed to be genuine.

NASA also recommends the glasses not be used if they are older than three years or are scratched.

The problem with fakes is that you cant know if theyre letting unsafe levels of solar ultraviolet and/or infrared radiation into your eyes, said Richard Tresch Fienberg, a press officer with AAS. Youd never know until its too late, because our retinas dont have pain receptors.

I bought several pairs of glasses from different vendors on Amazon before checking the approved list. I didnt realize one set was not on the list. The companys Amazon site is no longer working and neither is its Facebook page. The brand is Cosmos Eclipse Glasses by POGO Industrial CO. Im trying to reach the company.

Fienberg said he has not heard of the brand.

I bought some counterfeits in a New Hampshire country store yesterday, Fienberg said this morning. Theyre printed almost the same as real ones from American Paper Optics, but there are numerous telltale signs that theyre fake.

American Paper Optics glasses have rectangular lenses with metal on one side.

You cannot check yourself to see if your eclipse glasses are safe. But there are signs they are NOT safe.

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Fake eclipse glasses 'flooding' market, astronomy group says - Palm Beach Post (blog)