Glass Eye Studios in Seattle, Washington handblows their astronomy paperweights using dichroic glass and ash from the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

Dichroic glass is an optical metallic oxide glass developed by NASA to protect sensitive equipment from cosmic radiation and to protect astronauts from harmful unflitered sunlight while in space. Extremely thin layers of metal are vacuum deposited on glass and the layers permit some light and color wavelengths to pass thorugh while deflecting others. This produces a chameleon effect in which the color of the glass changes with the amount of light being absorbed or reflected.

Don't forget to checkout the two solar eclipses happening in Texas in October 2023 and April 2024

FREE Standard Shipping on all Continental U.S. orders of $125 or more.
All other Orders ship for a Flat-Fee of $12.95

For more information, please see our Shipping Policy.