Kenko Tokina Stargazing Glasses Minimize Light Pollution

Key Takeaways

1. Kenko Tokina has launched Asterism Glasses, designed to improve nighttime star observation, priced at 17,600 yen (about $120).
2. Light pollution from urban sources like street lights and advertisements makes it difficult to see stars clearly, affecting city residents.
3. The glasses feature TR-90 thermoplastic lenses with special coatings to reduce interference from specific light wavelengths.
4. Equipped with ES extended depth-of-field lens technology, the glasses are classified as medical devices in Japan for their unique focus adjustment.
5. Asterism Glasses can be worn over prescription glasses and are available for purchase directly from Kenko Tokina’s website.

Kenko Tokina has introduced Asterism Glasses, a new type of eyewear aimed at enhancing nighttime star observation. These glasses are priced at 17,600 yen (around $120) and can be bought directly from the company’s website in Japan.

The Problem of Light Pollution

City residents often struggle to see stars clearly, or sometimes not at all, due to light pollution. Various sources such as street lights, car headlights, landscape lighting, and illuminated advertisements contribute to an atmospheric glow that obscures celestial visibility. You can check out the extent of this issue on an online light pollution map that illustrates the problem globally.

Innovative Lens Technology

A significant portion of the light pollution arises from street lamps, which typically use mercury-vapor or sodium-vapor bulbs that emit strong light primarily in the 450 nm (bluish) and 600 nm (yellowish) ranges. The Asterism Glasses feature flexible thermoplastic lenses made from TR-90, which are specially coated to minimize light interference in these specific areas. Additionally, the lenses come with an anti-reflective (AR) coating to lessen undesired reflections from nearby light sources.

Medical Device Registration

These lenses are equipped with Itoh Optical Industrial’s ES extended depth-of-field lens technology, providing a permanent focus adjustment that optimizes the ability to view distant stars. Due to this unique focus feature, they are classified as medical devices in Japan.

The Asterism Glasses have dimensions of 160 × 50 × 175 mm (6.30 x 1.97 x 6.89 in.) and weigh just 33 g (1.16 oz). They are designed to be worn comfortably over prescription glasses.

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