Phoenix Libraries Offer Programs, Eclipse-Viewing Glasses For Kids

By Nicholas Gerbis
Published: Thursday, August 17, 2017 - 7:14am
Updated: Thursday, August 17, 2017 - 8:30am
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As Monday's solar eclipse draws near, many Phoenicians worry they won't be able to find viewing glasses — or that they'll get unsafe knockoffs instead. But Phoenix libraries are offering a fun and educational way for kids to get theirs.

The libraries are giving solar-eclipse-viewing glasses to children who attend related programs offered at seven of their branches.

The events take place between now and Monday, most of them this weekend.

Community relations manager Lee Franklin said the library is making the most of the roughly 1,000 glasses donated by the Space Science Institute's STAR_Net.

"There's a lot of interest right now, and we don't have enough glasses to go around for everybody that would like a pair," Franklin said. "So we want to make sure we make sure that the kids that come to the programming get theirs."

Young stargazers can find a list of eclipse programs at PhoenixPublicLibrary.org.

For everyone else, the American Astronomical Society's website lists reputable vendors of solar filters and viewers, and NASA's website offers directions for making a pinhole camera.

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