Those eclipse-viewing glasses you bought might be fake

Star light, star way, way too bright. If you're going to watch the solar eclipse on August 21, be sure you have authentic viewing glasses and not the unsafe versions some people are trying to hawk, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) warns.

Even glasses that claim to be ISO-certified might not be because some producers are going as far as to make fake labels, Space.com reports. Some glasses purchased on Amazon, for example, might be counterfeit. To purchase proper eclipse-viewing sunglasses, make sure to go through one of the reputable vendors listed by the AAS. (A word to the wise: If you think you're too cool for glasses, read about what can happen to your naked eyes when you stare at the sun during a solar eclipse).

"If you can see ordinary household lights through your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer, it's no good," the AAS writes. "Safe solar filters produce a view of the sun that is comfortably bright (like the full moon), in focus, and surrounded by black sky. If you glance at the sun through your solar filter and find it uncomfortably bright, out of focus, and surrounded by a murky haze, [the viewer is] no good."

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Even if the sun is mostly not visible, or sun-gazers are in areas where it is only partially eclipsed, viewers should wear approved glasses to look at it. The longest eclipse totality will last two minutes and 40 seconds, in Carbondale, Illinois. If you're staring at a rare phenomenon for that long, you'll want to be well prepared.

Alternatively, you can always go the DIY route.