On Monday, August 21 the United States will experience a total solar eclipse that will be visible from coast to coast, and Garden City teachers and staff members are making plans to take advantage of the learning opportunities of this rare and striking phenomenon.
A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the earth and the sun. Although Garden City is outside the path that the total eclipse will follow, people here can expect a very dark sky for a few minutes after 1 p.m. when more than 90 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon. This is the first solar eclipse to travel across the entire continental U.S. since 1918.
Activities regarding the Solar Eclipse are happening on a school by school basis. For those schools and classrooms participating in outdoor Solar Eclipse activities, Eclipse Shades that comply with CE and ISO requirements for safe viewing will be provided.
You can learn more about the Solar Eclipse by visiting NASA’s Total Eclipse website at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov
When is the Solar Eclipse?
- Monday, August 21, 2017
- Timing in Garden City (Click here to view an interactive map from NASA of the Solar Eclipse)
- 11:30 AM – Partial Phase Begins
- 12:56 PM – Maximum Eclipse
- 2:24 PM – Partial Phase Ends
Why is this such a huge event?
- The last total eclipse in the United States occurred on Feb. 26, 1979. The last total eclipse that crossed the entire continent occurred on June 8, 1918.
- The path of totality is a relatively thin ribbon, around 70 miles wide, that will cross the U.S. from West to East, crossing through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina.
- Garden City is not in the path of totality.
How will Garden City students and staff view the eclipse safely?
- You never want to look directly at the sun without appropriate protection. That could severely hurt your eyes. However, there are many ways to safely view an eclipse of the sun including direct viewing – which requires some type of filtering device and indirect viewing where you project an image of the sun onto a screen.
- School Buildings participating in Solar Eclipse activities have purchased Eclipse Shades that meet the CE and ISO requirements for safe viewing.
- Each building has their own plan for Solar Eclipse activities (including indoors viewing).
- If students and staff are outside during the Solar Eclipse and any time you are looking at the sun, the Eclipse Shades should be worn.
What precautions are being taken to keep students safe?
- There are other viewing options that will happen throughout the district:
- Participate in an https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream
- Other non-outdoors activities focused on the Solar Eclipse.
Are there resources available to learn more about the Solar Eclipses?
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov
Garden City High School 