Vanderbilt University recalls eclipse glasses handed out at county fair

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is recalling 8,000 pairs of eclipse glasses it distributed at the Williamson County Fair. (Photo Courtesy of VUMC via The Tennessean)
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is recalling 8,000 pairs of eclipse glasses it distributed at the Williamson County Fair. (Photo Courtesy of VUMC via The Tennessean)
photo Vanderbilt University Medical Center is recalling 8,000 pairs of eclipse glasses it distributed at the Williamson County Fair. (Photo Courtesy of VUMC via The Tennessean)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Vanderbilt University Medical Center says about 8,000 glasses distributed at a county fair should not be used to watch the upcoming solar eclipse because they may not meet the highest safety standards.

The Nashville, Tennessee-based university said Wednesday that eclipse glasses with white paper frames and featuring the Vanderbilt Health logo were handed out last weekend at the Williamson County Fair.

Vanderbilt says the glasses were purchased through a local vendor and included documentation that they were safe to watch Monday's eclipse. But the manufacturer said it could not verify that it had produced them, so the university recalled them.

The university has bought new glasses from American Paper Optics, a Tennessee-based manufacturer listed by NASA and the American Astronomical Society as a reputable dealer of safe glasses.

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