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Baton Rouge man travels to path of totality ahead of solar eclipse
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BATON ROUGE — It's estimated that Monday's total solar eclipse will inject $1.5 billion into the nation's economy. The figure includes money spent to travel across the country to inside the path of totality and participate in space-themed activities.
A man from Baton Rouge says he hopes to do some good with his own solar side hustle.
Jonathan Jee wouldn’t necessarily describe himself as a space fanatic, but for months he’s prepared for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For Jonathan, that means traveling to Texarkana for the total eclipse and sharing the experience with others.
"When I researched more, and I figured out [the eclipse] was happening in 2024, I really wanted to go see the eclipse in person,” Jee said.
Jonathan tried getting his hands on a set of protective glasses in 2017, but ran into expensive roadblocks.
"I went to Amazon and other sites, and they were going for really high prices," he said.
For Monday’s eclipse, he took matters into his own hands. A few months ago, Jee started buying and selling protective glasses. Jee said that he sold thousands of pairs to folks trying to catch a view of the moon passing in front of the sun.
Jee says on top of providing affordable options, he sold the glasses for two special people in his life.
"This was primarily for my two daughters' college fund for when they eventually go to school," he said. "They're twins and they're three, so it's just going to their fund."
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