In the afternoon of April 8, the Earth will move into the moon’s shadow, causing a solar eclipse. At 2:15 in the afternoon, all students will go to the field west of the school to witness the eclipse.
“It will be an event,” Earth science teacher Mr. Paris said. “There are certain events that happen in New York City that bring people together and this will be something people will remember forever.”
According to NASA’s eclipse website, around 3:10 in the afternoon in New York City, 89 percent of the sun will be blocked by the moon, giving New Yorkers an excellent view of the solar phenomenon.
The most recent partial eclipse to happen in New York City was in 2017 when over 70 percent of the sun was covered.
Miley Robles, 10th grade, said, “I knew it was going to happen, but I didn’t know it would be a big special thing. It will be a nice experience for the school.”
During the eclipse, Mr. Paris said, the sky will darken and birds in the area will actually think it’s night.
Mr. Paris went to a special workshop in the fall and learned how the school could prepare for viewing the eclipse. He ordered over 600 pairs of eclipse glasses. Students may naturally want to look at the sun to glimpse the eclipse, he said, but even the 11 percent of the sun’s rays could cause severe eye damage if someone looks at it directly.
The path of the eclipse will travel through Mexico to Texas to Maine and Canada. The closest large city to get a view of the total eclipse will be Buffalo, New York.
Ms. Papsidero, living environment teacher, grew up in Buffalo and still has family there. She is planning on taking the day off from work to be in Buffalo next Monday to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event with her children.
If the weather is cloudy that day, New Yorkers won’t be able to see much of the solar phenomenon and regular classes will be held until 2:40. The current forecast for New York City, though, is for clear skies that day.
