As Centre County schools plan for solar eclipse, State College announces it will dismiss early
State College Area School District will have a two-hour early dismissal for the April 8 total solar eclipse, officials announced Thursday.
The eclipse is set to last from 2:04 to 4:32 p.m., coinciding with the district’s afternoon dismissal and transportation times. All after-school activities, athletics and CEEL programs will also be canceled until 5:30 p.m. that day. In a message to district families, Superintendent Curtis Johnson acknowledged the inconvenience but said the district was prioritizing student safety.
“Because this duration spans our afternoon dismissal and busing schedule, we would not be able to ensure that our students refrained from observing the eclipse without protection,” Johnson wrote.
Viewing a solar eclipse without specific eye protection can cause severe eye damage. Only safe solar viewing or “eclipse glasses” should be used to view a solar eclipse, normal sunglasses are not powerful enough to protect from damage, according to NASA.
Penn State’s Eberly College of Science will be passing out free glasses to those attending the SolarFest event at Medlar Field.
SCASD is the only Centre County district that has so far announced plans to adjust the school day for the eclipse.
Penns Valley Area plans to do supervised viewing sessions in the hours leading up to the eclipse’s totality. Penns Valley worked with Penn State professor Christopher Palma and the Department of Astronomy to provide solar glasses for the district.
“We are very excited about being able to observe this rare natural phenomenon, and we are thankful for Dr. Palma’s help in securing the specialized eclipse-viewing glasses so that we can do it safely,” a spokesperson for the district wrote in an email to the CDT.
Saint John Catholic School in Bellefonte will also dismiss students early on April 8. The school purchased NASA-approved glasses and welcomed Palma to classrooms this week for lessons with students.
Centre County lies outside the path of totality for the eclipse, but NASA projects obscuration of at least roughly 95%. To browse maps and projections of the eclipse’s path through NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, visit svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5123.
What is a total solar eclipse?
Generally, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, projecting a shadow back on the Earth’s surface. These shadows can briefly block out the sun’s rays for a brief time.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and, if the path is positioned precisely, completely blocks out the face of the sun for those back on Earth who are located in the center of the moon’s shadow. Partial solar eclipses are much more common and occur when the sun, moon and Earth are not completely aligned.
According to NASA, a total solar eclipse can darken the sky “as if it were dawn or dusk.”
Reporter Matt DiSanto contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 21, 2024 at 3:11 PM.