Leader Publications will be collecting eclipse viewing glasses through 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, at the office in Festus, 503 N. Second St.
The newspaper is working with the St. Louis Eclipse 2017 Task Force and Astronomers Without Borders to collect used solar eclipse viewing glasses and send them to South America.
The glasses will be distributed to school children so they can safely view the partial phases of the July 2, 2019, solar eclipse. That eclipse will not be visible from the United States.
The path of totality will sweep across parts of Chile and Argentina. Persons in most of the rest of South America will see a partial eclipse.
Used but undamaged eclipse glasses will be bundled and sent to Explore Scientific, 621 Madison Street, Springdale, Ark. 72762. Glasses also may be sent directly to Explore Scientific. The organization will store them until South American distribution facilities are ready to receive them.
Donating used glasses also saves space in U.S. landfills.