On April 8, a solar eclipse was visible across Mexico, the United States of America, and Canada. Several students in Freedom traveled to Erie to see the total eclipse because the United States will not have another total eclipse until 2044. 

You would burn your retinas if you looked at the sun with a naked eye. To protect the students and staff, Freedom Area School District passed out eclipse glasses to all the students, and the school board agreed to an early dismissal. All students left school three hours early so they wouldn’t be looking at the eclipse during the bus ride home. Eclipse glasses are 1,000 times darker than regular sunglasses. Eclipse glasses are needed to watch the total eclipse, but for a short period of time, you can look at it safely without the glasses. Since the moon is completely covering the sun, there is no light to burn your retinas. 

Although several people traveled to Erie to view the total eclipse, that isn’t the only place you could’ve seen it. The path of totality is a line across North America, from Mexico to Canada, where you are able to see the total eclipse. Some animals’ behavior during the eclipse is very strange. Giraffes run around frantically and dogs bark. This is because they may be confused about whether it is night or day. Knowing that the average middle school student will be in their thirties during the next total solar eclipse, perhaps they will be able to watch it with their own children. Where will you be in 2044?