On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse is going to be visible in North America.

It will be totally dark in the middle of the day! Not because of clouds or because of a storm, but because the moon’s orbit is aligned perfectly with the sun and Earth’s orbit.

So should schools be letting their students out early… or keeping them late? Why do either? Is this eclipse even that big of a deal? What even is an eclipse? All of these questions will be answered, plus, don’t you want to find out if you can get out of school early?

What is an eclipse?

An eclipse is when the moon blocks the sun and interferes with the sunlights pathway to Earth. A partial solar eclipse is when the sun isn’t totally covered but the sun will appear as a crescent shape in the sky.

But on April 8th we are experiencing a total eclipse which is when there is zero sunlight at all.

Where can you see it?

Specifically, in the U.S.A you can see the eclipse in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Michigan and Maine. It can also be seen in Mexico and Canada.

When should school be let out?

Now you’re probably thinking, I don’t know why we need to be let out early but I’m all for it!

Well, since it’s going to be so dark from the eclipse (and since the peak of the eclipse is going to be around when school normally ends) The Pennsylvania Department of Education has recommended schools either consider an early dismissal or in some instances keeping kids later.

They say it’s not safe for children to be walking home in the dark.

Why is this eclipse so special?

People from all over the world are visiting to see this eclipse, why? Well, any eclipse is considered a big deal. Especially total solar eclipses.

But this eclipse is going to be a lot longer than our recent ones, the sky is going to be a lot darker, and this will be the last big eclipse in North America for 20 years.

The moon will be at a point in its cycle that it’s pretty close to Earth, so this is why it will be especially dark. Plus, the sun will be very close to its solar maximum.

Nearly 32 million people will be able to see this eclipse which is a lot larger than most years before.

How to see it

There are many places you can watch the eclipse or take a short drive to see.

However, you must remember to wear special glasses in order to not hurt your eyes. Staring at an Eclipse is just like staring at the sun.

And no, sunglasses won’t block all the light.

Are you doing anything exciting for the eclipse? Do you think we should be let out early? Did you know what an eclipse was before reading this?

Make sure to sneak a peek at the eclipse on April 8th!