PICKENS COUNTY — Now that The Great Eclipse is behind us, chances are you’ve got a few of those solar shielding glasses hanging around the house.
Well, don’t just toss them in the bin — Astronomers Without Borders has a much better use for them.
Recently, the organization announced they would be collecting used pairs of eclipse safety glasses and redistributing them to school children in other parts of the world who are gearing up for their own eclipses.
Here’s the thing: Although Upstate South Carolina won’t see another event like this until 2078, eclipses themselves aren’t a rare thing — they happen all the time and all over the globe, according to NASA.
The difference is some countries are just better equipped to purchase the proper protective gear than others — something Astronomers Without Borders would like to change.
The organization stated a program was being put together to send the glasses to areas in South America and Asia in preparation for the solar eclipse that will pass over the two continents in 2019.
But even though all the details haven’t been put together just yet, the idea took off.
“The response to our glasses donation program has been overwhelming, ” wrote Astronomers Without Borders President Mike Simmons on the group’s Facebook page. “We’ll have more places to send glasses posted before long but for now everyone is traveling back from the eclipse. Most importantly, don’t throw your glasses away!”
Simmons stated groups or individuals who wanted to collect the solar safety glasses from friends, neighbors, schools to please do so and become an official “Astronomers Without Borders glasses collection center.”
The organization said on its website that they were in the process of partnering with several other groups for collecting the glasses and had yet to announce all of the different locations the eye wear could be sent.
Simmons wrote that for those who “couldn’t wait,” the glasses could be mailed to Explore Scientific, 1010 S. 48th Street in Springdale, AR 72762.
For more information, visit astronomerswithoutborders.org.