Complete darkness. Is the sun gone forever? No. It’s the eclipse.
On April 8, there will be a total solar eclipse. The science department is putting together fun activities for the Lower, Middle and Upper School students. The event will be on the football field after lunch until the solar eclipse starts at 1:40.
There will be opportunities to make bracelets out of reflective solar beads, race mini solar cars, get sun tattoos, pinhole Texas game, and the solar car will be on display for students to observe. There will be other surprise activities and performances, complete with a sun-themed lunch.
“I am excited for all the fun activities and I’ve never seen a total eclipse before,” Nola Gibbs ‘25 said.
Eclipses happen quite often, both lunar and solar, but being in the path of totality during a solar eclipse is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people. During the solar eclipse, the moon will travel between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow and blocking the light from the sun. Due to the angle of the moon, only certain places will have the sun completely blocked out; this is called the zone of totality. The zone of totality for this eclipse goes across the U.S. from Maine through Texas and into Mexico.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and everybody needs to take advantage of seeing it in full totality,” Sherri Reed, US Science, said.
The last eclipse was on August 21, 2017 and the next one after this upcoming eclipse will be in 2044. The one in 2044 will not cross into Texas and will only be in the very North of the United States. In fact, the last eclipse in Texas was in 1878.
After all of the activities, special glasses will be handed out so the students, teachers, and staff can safely view the solar eclipse. The weather forecast says that it will be cloudy which means that the eclipse might be harder to see and some stars will not be visible.
“We’re hoping for good weather so that the eclipse can be enjoyed in all of its beauty,” Dr. John Cordell, US Science, said.
