Eclipse viewing glasses collected in Suffolk following the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, went global this week.

The Suffolk News-Herald was a collection site for gently used pairs of the glasses after the 2017 eclipse. The glasses were sent to Astronomers Without Borders, checked to ensure they still provided protection from the sun’s bright light, and sent to youngsters in South America to help them see the solar eclipse that happened on Tuesday.

“You have reached across geographic and political borders to share an experience of a lifetime and connect yourself with somebody else who has experienced something life changing,” Astronomers Without Borders wrote in a Tuesday email to 2017 collection sites.

The News-Herald collected 32 pairs of the eclipse viewing glasses in 2017. The organization also is sending glasses to Asia for an upcoming annular solar eclipse.