While some Chippewa County residents will be hosting their own eclipse viewings, Pickford Public Schools will be hosting students, teachers, families and any other spectator who wishes to join at their own event.
The April 8 eclipse will be a total eclipse for some parts of the country, with a small part of southern Michigan experiencing totality. In the Upper Peninsula, spectators will be able to see around 83 percent of the sun being covered by the moon.
Pickford Schools Secretary Tonya Brace took charge in organizing the event after participating in a similar event during the last solar eclipse in 2017. Experiencing the eclipse with her son and learning about the science involved made her want to spread the joy across the community.
“I’m surprised to see no one else is really organizing events for this. It seems like a lot of people don’t know it’s happening,” said Brace. “In 2017 I hosted a similar event for the Boy Scouts, so I knew I wanted to be a part of this when this one came around.”
The eclipse will be visible throughout most of the continental United States. The next partial eclipse is expected in the year 2044 and the next total eclipse won’t arrive until 2099.
Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our coverage
The school invites any student, faculty, family members or any other community members to join the eclipse viewing at the football field starting at 2:45 p.m. on Monday, April 8.
To prepare for the event, Pickford schools has created large dioramas and other educational materials to explain the science of the eclipse and what exactly happens during the celestial event.
Educational booths and other materials will be available during the event, as well as science teachers to help with explanations and conversations.
Eclipse glasses will be handed out to all students to avoid any eye damage from staring at the sun. Glasses will cost $1 for visiting community members. During the peak of the eclipse, teachers will hand out glow sticks for students to experience how dark the eclipse can get. At its peak, it will be dark enough to be confused for nighttime.
T-shirts and other eclipse-themed merchandise will also be available to purchase at the event.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Pickford schools plan eclipse viewing event for April 8