The solar eclipse happening today, April 8, 2024, is basically just the moon passing in front of the sun. This means the sun is almost entirely covered by the moon and the only light is the rays shining around the outline of the moon. Many people think this is cool and interesting because it only happens every twelve to twenty years, so chances are you probably won’t get a chance to see many more. 

   Don’t stress seeing this one, though, because there are different types of ellipses, such as a lunar eclipse where, according to www.science.NASA.gov the earth’s own shadow covers the view of the moon. 

   Although it may sound tempting to go look at the sun this afternoon, don’t! That i,s unless you have the proper glasses, which are not sunglasses! You can buy these just about anywhere as long as you make sure they are approved! 

    “The eclipse is very dangerous and you need to have the glasses on at all points in the eclipse today,” said Ms. Polak, chemistry teacher, “and they need to be the approved glasses, not off-brands of any sort.”

   According to NASA, it’s much more dangerous to look at the sun during a solar eclipse because the bright rays are harder for our brains to detect because of the darker sky. The rays of the sun damage the retina, which is in the back of the eye. The retina doesn’t have any pain receptors so you wouldn’t feel the damage as it’s being done, and by the time you do feel the damage it’s far too long to fix. 

   Many people will take advantage of the opportunity to look at the eclipse today, in fact up to 99% of people in the U.S. will get a glimpse at our sky – but Guilford’s students won’t, at least, not if you’re in school. The school wants to keep students safe and protected.

   “Teachers would be allowed to take their students out to see the eclipse if they had a plan, were prepared, and got approved,” said Mr. Carter, Guilford’s Principal, “Nobody asked or informed the school of taking their students outside.”