Submitted by Washington’s Office of Secretary of State
Now that the eclipse is over, the tough task of battling traffic to return home has been completed for those who traveled to Oregon to watch it, and we are all settling back into our routines, there’s one thing left: those eclipse glasses.
On Monday, you couldn’t find a pair to save your life. Now, thousands of pairs are destined for the trash.
But wait! Instead of tossing them, why not pass them along to kids in South America and Asia, the locations for the path of totality for the next eclipse, in 2019?
Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) says, “Many schools in developing countries don’t have resources for science education and this is a rare opportunity that inspires students and teachers and shows them that science is something they can do.” (source)
Want to help these kids safely view the next eclipse? The Washington State Library has signed on as a collection site for glasses. Our address is 6880 Capitol Blvd. SE in Tumwater (the corner of Capitol and Israel Road), and we are open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. M-F. There will be a drop off box in the lobby. Bring us your eclipse glasses and we’ll make sure they get to AWB for redistribution.
Let’s help others safely experience the thrill of seeing a solar eclipse!
