Blog

A (near) Total Eclipse of the Sun….

April 5, 2024

We will be experiencing a partial (approximately 90%) solar eclipse on Monday, April 8^th from 2:11-4:37 pm. https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/westport?iso=20240408  We are expecting sunny weather with scattered clouds, so should have a great view!

Partial or annular solar eclipses are different from total solar eclipses – there is no period of totality when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face. Therefore, during partial or annular solar eclipses, it is never safe to look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection.  Please make sure your children are properly protected during this fun event.

When watching a partial or annular solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. NASA does not approve any particular brand of solar viewers.

Do NOT look at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury.

If you don’t have eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can use a homemade indirect viewing method, which does not involve looking directly at the Sun. One way is to use a pinhole projector, which has a small opening (for example, a hole punched in an index card) and projects an image of the Sun onto a nearby surface. With the Sun at your back, you can then safely view the projected image. Do NOT look at the Sun through the pinhole! Here are more fun eclipse activities: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learning-toolkit-blog/7-activities-to-get-kids-excited-solar-eclipse.html