Astronomers start recycling programme for eclipse-viewing glasses



WASHINGTON (dpa) - An astronomy group is collecting the special glasses distributed in the United States for viewing last month's solar eclipse with plans to recycle them for use during a solar eclipse in 2019.
Astronomers Without Borders said Thursday it hopes to send the unwanted glasses to schools in South America and Asia. The glasses, which protect the eyes from harmful solar rays when viewing an eclipse, can be dropped off at more than 800 collection centres.



Millions of eclipse glasses were used on August 21 when a solar eclipse swept across continental US. The glasses were distributed by NASA and other organizations ahead of the coast-to-coast eclipse across the country, which was the first in nearly a century.
The 2019 eclipse will take place on July 2, NASA says. Totality will be visible from the southern Pacific Ocean, east of New Zealand to Chile and Argentina.
Astronomers Without Borders, based in California, said in a news release it has partnered with the company Explore Scientific in collecting the glasses, which are typically made of thick paper and lenses made of a dark film-like material.
The company's warehouse has received more than 150,000 pairs of used and leftover new glasses so far.
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Saturday, September 9th 2017
dpa
           


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