Advertisement

Lifestyle

Solar eclipse glasses aren’t sunglasses, but you can look for sunspots with them

If people want to keep their glasses for another solar eclipse, they can store them in a book to avoid damaging them, according to Western University Professor Jan Cami (Courtesy: Astronomers Without Borders).

Although a solar eclipse only occurs once in a while, Torontonians can reuse their glasses or make sure  to properly dispose of them.

However, it’s probably not wise to use the glasses as a substitute for regular sunglasses, as they block out everything  except the sun. 

Instead, people can use them to look at the sun and check for sunspots, according to Western University Physics and Astronomy professor Jan Cami.

Sunspots are the most visible manifestation of the sun’s activity which are the darkest spots visible by eye, according to nonprofit organization Astronomers Without Borders.

If people want to keep their glasses for another solar eclipse, they can store them in a book to avoid damaging them, according to Cami.

Advertisement

For people who are ready to toss out their glasses, there is an ideal method to dispose of them.

“If people want to discard them, ideally separate the ‘lenses’ from the frame. The frame goes into the paper recycling; the lens material into the garbage,” Cami told Now Toronto.

People have made TikTok videos showing how to do this separation process. 

EMBED: 

@sustainalil

At least 200 million eclipse glasses were sold this year (from my rough calculations). Thats a lot of added trash to the landfills. Make sure you seperate the plastic so you can recycle that paperrrrr!! ♻️ #eclipse #eclipseglasses #solareclipse #recycle #zerowaste #lowwaste

♬ Beautiful Things – Benson Boone

The glasses are also eligible for donation if they’re gently worn and there hasn’t been any fatal damage to the lenses. 

Advertisement

Here are places where people can donate their glasses in the GTA:

  • The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Hamilton Centre 
  • Various libraries around the GTA , like the Oakville Public Library and the Hamilton Public Library 

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted