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This is Scientific American — 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky.
You've all taken off your glasses by now, along with the family and friends of my friend Dennis Meredith. Because the Great American Eclipse of 2017 has come and gone. And most people in the path of totality, which the Merediths were in Sun Valley, Idaho, saw a terrific show. Now they have their memories—and batches of eclipse glasses cluttering up their homes.
But don't throw them away—because many of the glasses are certified for safe use for up to three years. Which is good news for people, especially kids, in South America and Asia who might not be able to afford or otherwise acquire new eclipse glasses. Those two regions will experience a total solar eclipse in 2019. And a California nonprofit called Astronomers Without Borders wants your old glasses to share with schools and those kids.
Astronomers Without Borders has not yet announced an address to send the glasses, so hold onto them a bit longer and check back in to their Facebook page or their Web site, at www.astronomerswithoutborders.org. They request that you don't send the glasses directly to them, but to the various outlets they'll be announcing as clearinghouses for the specs.
And while you're at their site, check out the other good things they do to bring astronomy to people all around the world.
For Scientific American — 60-Second Science Science. I'm Steve Mirsky.
