University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee says distributed solar eclipse glasses are unsafe

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee distributed glasses for Monday's total solar eclipse that have been deemed unsafe to use. 

The safety certificate provided by New York-based Everything Branded to the university was fake, according to a university press release. Other glasses distributed at the UWM Planetarium that have the NASA logo have the appropriate and necessary certifications. 

Everything Branded said Thursday it believed its supplier provided the initial fake certificate, as the company has been unable to verify that the glasses are safe.

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The moon is expected to pass between the earth and the sun Monday afternoon. Eclipse glasses are required because staring directly into the sun can cause serious and permanent eye damage. 

About 500 pairs of glasses with the UWM logo on one side and "CoffeeShop Astrophysics" on the other were distributed by students at two events Sunday and Monday. 

People who made a donation to CoffeeShop Astrophysics for the glasses can contact coffeeshopastrophysics@gmail.com about exchanging their glasses for a refund.  

The university urges people to discard the unsafe glasses.