What To Do With Those Eclipse Glasses?

PORTLAND, OR — Now that the Aug. 21 eclipse has passed, what are millions of Americans — from Oregon to South Carolina — to do with those coveted ISO 12312-2 eclipse-viewing safety glasses? While the natural response might be to throw them away or relegate them to the bottom of some keepsake drawer, an international non-profit has a different suggestion: Donate them.

Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), a charity based in Calabasas, California, is developing a plan to gather up the glasses and distribute them to school children in under-developed areas of Asia and South America, which will see their total eclipses in 2019.

"Information on how you can participate in this program to spread STEM resources around the world will be coming soon so gather them up. Don't waste. Donate!" the group wrote on Facebook.

Founded by two astronomers in 2007, AWB works to distribute equipment and train teachers and others in underdeveloped countries to create "goodwill and understanding" through astronomy. Image: Tom McDermott, Oakland, California.

What It's Like Under A Solar Eclipse

Image: Tom McDermott, Oakland, California.