On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse was visible across North America. Many people at Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston were able to watch for themselves.

What even is an eclipse? Well, as Science teacher Mrs. Richardson states, “an eclipse happens when sun and the moon meet. This happens because the sun and the moon rotate at different speeds and at certain points they cross, which blocks out the sun.” 

This solar eclipse lasted for 4 minutes and 28 seconds. The last eclipse happened on August 21, 2017 and lasted for 2 minutes and 40 seconds. The next time an eclipse will be visible in North America will be in the year 2044.

Many people were at school, more specifically FDHS,  when the eclipse happened, like sophomore Michael Harding, who was able to watch the eclipse happen at the very beginning. Harding states that the eclipse looked like a “black hole that completely blocked out the sun. It was very beautiful.”

Thankfully, Harding was looking at the sun with solar viewers, or more commonly called, eclipse glasses. If someone were to look at the eclipse without the eclipse glasses, they would go blind. 

Sophomore Jeffrey Aiken also was able to watch the eclipse with the eclipse glasses. Aiken says that, “eclipse glasses are made with something called black polymer, which is a flexible resin infused with carbon particles. It is used in the eclipse glasses to help reduce visible light down to safe levels.”

You should only get eclipse glasses that are labeled with  ‘ISO’, which stands for the International Organization for Standardization. The ISO is an independent organization that writes safety and quality standards for all kinds of things, including eyewear, health care, food production and focuses on the scientific community. If you find eclipse glasses or other solar viewers that aren’t labeled ‘ISO’, then don’t use them. They aren’t guaranteed to protect your eyes from the eclipse the way they should.

In conclusion, many people at FDHS were able to safely watch the eclipse and enjoyed it.