Millions were treated to spectacular views on Monday afternoon as a solar eclipse sliced a diagonal line across North America, thrusting communities into darkness for a brief period of time.
The once-in-a-lifetime spectacle prompted scores of onlookers to travel toward the path of totality but also amazed those that experienced a partial eclipse, as was the case in the Chicago area.
Now that the astronomical event is in the books, you might be wondering what to do with those special eclipse glasses.
It turns out, you have a few options.
Glasses are being collected at a number of Chicago-area locations for the non-profit Astronomers Without Borders, which has collected used glasses for distribution since 2018. The program gives people in other parts of the world, who might not have the opportunity to safely view an eclipse otherwise, to do so.
Pairs can be dropped off at all 240-plus Warby Parker stores, including the 10 throughout the Chicago area. The locations are listed below:
- Fulton Market - 851 W. Randolph St.
- Wicker Park - 1611 N. Damen Ave.
- Gold Coast - 1123 N. State St.
- Lincoln Park - 851 W. Armitage Ave.
- Lake View - 3432 N. Southport Ave.
- Andersonville - 5219 N. Clark St.
- Skokie - Old Orchard Mall
- Schaumburg - Woodfield Mall
- Oak Brook - Oakbrook Center
- Naperville - 140 W. Jefferson Ave.
Glasses in usable condition, meaning they haven't been bent, scratched or broken, can be dropped off at Warby Parker locations through April 30.
Solar Eclipse 2024
Eclipse Glasses USA is collecting undamaged pairs for school-aged children in Latin America, which will experience an annular eclipse in October. While it's perfectly fine if the glasses are used, the company will only accept US-made paperboard glasses that have the manufacturer's address and contact information, according to its website. They must also have the ISO logo.
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Shipping information for where to send your glasses is available here.
There's also the option of recycling the cardboard itself.
It's perfectly fine to do so - as long as you remove the lenses, according to the American Academy of Ophtamology's website.
