Outpouring Of Support Saves Astronomy Website From Bankruptcy

Iceland’s premier astronomy website was saved from bankruptcy within hours after news of its financial struggles was announced.

As reported, the astronomy website Stjörnufræðivefurinn was facing a debt of some 450,000 ISK, due primarily to last year’s purchase of special eclipse-viewing sunglasses, most of which were given away to school children. As such, they declared bankruptcy at the end of last month.

Vísir now reports that news of Stjörnufræðivefurinn’s dire financial straits spread far and fast, and Icelanders across the country contacted site owner Sævar Helgi Bragason to offer help. When Sævar checked the site’s account last evening, he says, enough money had been donated to more than cover the debt.

“You sometimes feel like you’re all alone in this, and so I love feeling this support,” Sævar told reporters. “I want to thank these people from the bottom of my heart. I don’t know how I can thank them enough.”

Sævar says his next big dream is to get a telescope in every primary school in the country, in particular, so kids can study the sun.