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Solar Eclipse Safety

On April 8, portions of the United States will be along the path of a total solar eclipse. Locally, this will be experienced as a partial eclipse, occurring between 2 and 4 p.m., with the greatest magnitude (84%) taking place at approximately 3:20 p.m.

While this is a rare and exciting phenomenon, it does present a risk of eye injury to everyone, especially children who may not understand the dangers of looking directly in the direction of the sun. At no time will it be safe to look at the sun without the protection of authentic and properly certified eclipse viewing glasses.

As the timing of the eclipse will occur during student dismissal hours across the division, all schools will share safety information with students before April 8. Additionally, we encourage families to emphasize the importance of NOT looking directly at the sun without specialized glasses. Regular sunglasses, tinted windows, or looking out of regular bus or car windows do not provide adequate protection and can cause eye damage.

For additional resources on solar eclipse safety and information, please visit the following links:

• NASA
• American Astronomical Society