In a surprising turn of events, the Moorestown Library in Burlington County issued a warning on Monday, revealing that the solar eclipse glasses it had distributed to the public may have been counterfeit. It was discovered that the glasses, purchased from Walmart.com and labeled as manufactured by Medical King, appeared to have been produced by scammers.

The alert came just hours before the eclipse was visible in the region for those fortunate enough to have clear skies. Expressing regret for the mistake, the library took to Facebook to apologize and advise against the use of these potentially counterfeit glasses.

Viewing the eclipse safely requires specialized shades that are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses, offering protection against harmful infrared and ultraviolet light that can cause irreversible damage to the retina in just seconds of exposure.

To help verify the authenticity of the glasses, the library shared a link to a CNET article that outlined the steps to visually test and authenticate them. Legitimate eclipse glasses should darken essentially everything except the sun, presenting a yellow appearance with no noticeable strain on the eyes and a brightness level resembling the moon at night.

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) had previously warned of scammers attempting to take advantage of the eclipse by producing and distributing fake glasses. These unethical manufacturers were found to be duplicating logos of legitimate vendors and using counterfeit stickers to falsely certify compliance with safety standards.

Shortly after the eclipse, Google searches for symptoms indicating possible eye damage spiked in states within the eclipse's path. Symptoms such as distorted vision, changes in color perception, blurred vision, and headaches were among the most common reported.

While the AAS provides a list of approved vendors to reference for vetted manufacturers, it cannot guarantee that a pair of glasses is not counterfeit. One commenter on the library's Facebook post shared her experience of contacting a lab for testing her Medical King glasses ordered from Walmart. Shockingly, the lab quoted her an exorbitant fee ranging from $1,200 to $1,500 for their services.

As the investigation continues, it serves as a reminder for all individuals to exercise caution when purchasing solar eclipse glasses and to verify the authenticity of the product from trusted sources. The Moorestown Library is taking responsibility for the oversight and hopes that no long-term harm has come to those who used the potentially counterfeit glasses during the celestial event.