On April 8th, 2024, the sky went dark.

But only in a certain part of the world. The truth is, on April 8th, there was a total solar eclipse here in North America. 

For us in Florida, we were only able to see part of the whole thing, around 40-50%. Those of whom lucky to live somewhere like Dallas or Indianapolis were able to experience the total eclipse. 

The eclipse was first visible in Mexico, able to be seen starting around 11:51 a.m. EST. Its path moved across the continent before reaching its end around 3:46 p.m. EST, seen around Newfoundland in Canada. Its peak totality (when the moon is covering the sun the most) was witnessed at many times across many places. The longest time it was viewed was at Matzalán in Mexico… for a whole four minutes. 

While in Florida we didn’t get peak totality, there was still a lot to see. At JLA, we all left our seventh period classes to witness this monumental event. We were all given pairs of eclipse glasses to block out the quite literally blinding light from the sun, making everything seem a whole lot darker. However, with these glasses, the students were able to look up and see the sun blocked out by the moon, forming a bright crescent shape.

After witnessing this magical event that will only happen again in 20 years, the students were impressed. One such student (who has chosen to stay anonymous) even said that, “it was a mesmerizing once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The next solar eclipse is in August 2044. Perhaps our kids may be attending JLA and witnessing it the same way that we did. But until then, this event will surely be in our minds as a stunning miracle of the universe and an amazing way to avoid having a period’s-worth of class.