In Norfolk County, both the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board and the Grand Erie District School Board followed in the footsteps of othe boards across the province by moving their PA day to coincide with the upcoming Solar Eclipse.
That means on April 8th, students will be home from school locally with the hope of avoiding any eye injuries.
We spoke to Backyard Astronomer Gary Boyle about this upcoming eclipse and he is in full support of school boards taking the cautious approach.
Boyle says it will last roughly from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.
He says eyes can get injured looking up at the eclipse, but there is a very small window when it could be safe.
If you are willing to dig into your pocketbook, there are “Eclipse glasses” and other products on the market – but he says it’s important to do a little bit of investigating before jumping into a purchase.
If you can’t get these glasses, there is a way that parents can still view the eclipse with their kids in a fun and crafty way.
While many regions will have a limited window to see the sun fully eclipsed by the moon, the best spot is likely in Niagara Falls if you happen to be down that way for the day.
It will have the longest window to stare at the eclipse without protection, as the moon will fully cover the sun for roughly 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
Written by Matt LeBlanc