Hey Mustangs, it’s Kori from The Stampede! As some of you may know, April 8, 2024, is a really special occasion! We will be experiencing our second total eclipse in 7 years, and from where we are, we can see totality! So if you’re interested in that, this article will be telling you important facts that you may want to know before the day comes.
So as stated, this will be the first total eclipse since 2017! But what even is a total eclipse? Well, a total eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, completely blocking the Sun.
You may also be wondering what I mean by “we will be able to see totality”. Well, this just means that from where we are, the Moon will be COMPLETELY blocking the sun. Because in some areas, the Moon will only be covering a portion of the Sun. That is called a partial eclipse. However, the Sun being completely covered is cooler in my opinion.
Some frequently asked questions have been: “When will the eclipse happen!?” “Why are some areas canceling school for it?” “Why do we need to wear special glasses for the eclipse?” “Will we be able to see it even though it’s happening during school hours?”
To answer the first question, the solar eclipse will enter its partial eclipse phase in Dallas at around 12:20 PM. The total eclipse will begin at 1:40. Then, the maximum eclipse will begin shortly after at 1:42 PM. Afterward, the eclipse will end. It will begin to go back into partial eclipse at 1:44, and completely end at 3:02. The maximum eclipse will last for nearly 4 minutes!
Next, why do we have to wear special glasses when the eclipse happens? Eclipse glasses are different from normal sunglasses because the point of them is to be able to see the sun, not to shade out the sun. So, eclipse glasses shade out everything so that you can only see the sun. As the eclipse occurs, you will be able to see it clearly in the glasses. Also, looking at the sun without glasses is extremely dangerous and can cause permanent damage to your retinas. And since the moon will be covering the sun for some time, it will be like when you turn off the lights in a room and your eyes adjust to the darkness, only for the lights to unexpectedly turn back on, but way worse because the sun is way brighter than any man-made lights.
And finally, some districts are canceling school to allow students to enjoy the eclipse with their families. Also, there will be an influx of tourists coming to see the eclipse because, as stated, some states are only getting a partial eclipse whereas Texas is one of the few states that is getting a total eclipse. However, while the Garland Independent School District will not be closing for the day of the eclipse, students will be given special glasses to see the eclipse when it happens during school hours. For Sachse students, the eclipse will happen during the last period of the school day, so students will go out to the stadium and watch it.
So what would the schedule be like that day? Well, we will be on an adjusted bell schedule. Run time will be skipped that day, and everything will be moved up half an hour. Then, we will go to A5 which will be around 2 hours. However, we will not be in there for the entire class period. We will go outside to watch the eclipse for about 40 minutes. Once the eclipse is over, students and staff will head back inside and go back to business as usual until school is over at 2:50.
I hope this article was useful to you, and I hope you are as excited as I am for the eclipse!
Sources:
