The sky is completely dark. You can see stars and planets. But it’s day, not night. So, how is this possible? This is possible if you are present where a total solar eclipse is! Fortunately, a solar eclipse is happening in North America on Monday, April 8th!
A solar eclipse is a rare event where the sun is obscured by the moon. In other words, the moon passes in front of the sun, blocking most of or almost all of the sun’s light from reaching the Earth. This makes the sky go dark for a few precious minutes during the day, depending on your location during the solar eclipse.
Northern Virginia didn’t see a total eclipse, since we weren’t in the direct path of it. Instead, we saw a partial eclipse. However, states like Texas and Maine were in the direct path. Mexico and Canada were also able to see the eclipse, with Niagra Falls, Canada experiencing a record number of tourists just for the eclipse.
Many people hoped to see this event, as another solar eclipse will not happen in the continuous US until 2044, according to NASA. Masoom K., a student at Frost Middle School said, “The solar eclipse is a rare event that won’t happen for another 20 years so I’m so glad I am able to witness it.”
However, it is unsafe to view the solar eclipse without eclipse glasses. If you look at the sun during an eclipse without them, it could seriously damage your eyes. The solar eclipse happened on April 8th and hit the FCPS area around 2-4:30 pm.
Since the eclipse “started” right after school ended, kids were pointing out the sun and putting on their glasses as soon as they got outside. People and families gathered together to witness this event. While some kids were very excited, others didn’t see what the big deal was.
One Frost student said, “I don’t get why everyone is so excited about the eclipse. It happens every year, just in a
different place in the world. If you want to see another one, just go to that part of the world.”
No matter what peoples’ opinions were about the eclipse, most people still watched it. Needless to say, it was a fun experience that people will look forward to again in the future!
