Iowa, Here’s What You Need to Do With Your Eclipse Glasses

On Monday, April 8th a total solar eclipse swept through North America.

People all across the United States stopped what they were doing to view the celestial event. 

Most Iowans did not get to glimpse “totality” this time around. Totality meant that the moon completely covered the sun during this eclipse, and darkened the sky.

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According to reports, approximately 31.6 million people live in the path of totality. The following states saw parts of their region experience this incredible once-in-a-lifetime event.

• Texas 
• Oklahoma
• Arkansas 
• Missouri
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Indiana
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania 
• New York
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Maine

Parts of Iowa saw anywhere between 85-90% coverage during the eclipse.

In order to view the eclipse, you had to somehow acquire the legitimate eclipse sunglasses.

A whole lot of them looked like the old school 3D glasses that you’d get at the movie theaters.

Now that the eclipse is over, what are you going to do with your glasses?

Some people are saving them as a little keepsake while others are just throwing them straight into the garbage.

If you don’t want to keep them, why not try to cut down on the waste that comes with an event like the solar eclipse?

What You Can Do With Your Solar Eclipse Glasses Instead of Trashing Them

While another total solar eclipse won’t be happening in our neck of the woods for some time, there is another eclipse anticipated to be seen very soon.

According to reports, parts of South America will be seeing an annular eclipse this year!

This will take place in October of 2024!

An annular eclipse occurs when the moon is near its furthest distance from earth. This means that it will appear as if a ring appeared around the moon.

You can send your solar eclipse glasses to children in South America, so they can enjoy this exciting moment.

How Do I Do It?

Eclipse Glasses USA is working with other organizations to donate used (and undamaged) glasses. They are only accepting “US-made paperboard glasses that have the manufacturer's address and contact info and that bear the ISO logo.”

You can ship the glasses in an envelope via USPS First-Class Mail. 

Address the envelope like this:

Eclipse Glasses USA, LLC

PO BOX 50571

Provo, UT 84605

Make sure to ship it by August 1st so that this organization can distribute the glasses to schools and children for the October event.

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