The Great Eclipse: All You Need To Know

Olivia Hand, Reporter

On August 21, 2017, Chelsea High School’s students have the once in a lifetime opportunity to see The Great Eclipse. Essentially, what will will be happening is that our moon will cross paths with our sun, resulting in the sun being hidden behind the moon. 93.5% of the sun should be totally immersed behind the moon causing darkness in daylight.

Excitement for this “rare” occurrence has been showed at CHHS, when really solar eclipses happen quite often. Every 18 months actually, so in every 3 years people around the world will get to see this “phenomena” happen twice. What makes this occurrence so talked about and hyped, is that we in the United States will actually get to observe what our foreign neighbors are chatting about.

In the United States no one has been able to see any of the eclipses since 1918, even though they happen so commonly. This explains the excitement for this moment. Unless you are over one-hundred years old, and have a firm memory of being a baby living in states between Washington and Florida, then you have never seen a total solar eclipse here in America.

When asking twenty-two excited students of Chelsea High School about this said phenomena, only one of them has never heard of a solar eclipse before starting this school year. But when asked when was the most recent solar eclipse in the United States, the results were not as straightforward. Students claimed years late as “1804” to years just recently, such as “2016.”  This shows most students knew the concept of a solar eclipse, but not the actual facts.

All students will have the opportunity to witness this, all by getting parental consent, and signing a permission waiver given to them via Google Classroom. If the failure to sign the waiver is present, the students will still find the opportunity inside the school, via live stream! The prime time for this event is around 1:15 pm and 1:45 pm, that would be seventh period for the students.

It is often known, that looking straight at the blazing sun is harmful. Well, the same applies even if the sun is covered by the moon. The sun’s rays are still live even though you can not see them. Viewing devices are recommended to all students, and faculty. Even if that means making your own by watching a tutorial, or purchasing you own pre-made ones.

The moon will not wait for you on its journey across the sun, be ready to witness this eerie moment in science on August 21st, 2017.