“While the district originally planned to make the eclipse an on-campus learning opportunity, closing the district is in the best interest of students, teachers, and families.”
Schools in a Texas district will close for the 2024 eclipse, following warnings from local emergency management officials.
The last total solar eclipse over the US was pretty spectacular, as anyone who saw it will attest. Looking at the photos, it’s hard to imagine how the sight could have been improved upon in the eclipse taking place next month.
But if we are lucky and the weather is fine, we could be in for something special, as the eclipse coincides with the solar maximum. As NASA explains, “Streamers will likely be visible throughout the corona. In addition to that, viewers will have a better chance to see prominences – which appear as bright, pink curls or loops coming off the Sun.”
Image credit: Nancy Hajjar/Shutterstock.com
The eclipse should be visible from Mexico to Canada. The path of totality – the area where people will see a total solar eclipse – is wider than in 2017 too, as the Moon is closer to Earth due to where it is in its orbit, meaning more people will see the Sun’s corona, potentially giving them a chance to see a coronal mass ejection.
As always with eclipses though, there are safety concerns. Last week, Lorain County Emergency Management (EMA) in Ohio issued a warning to local residents to stock up on food, water, and fuel ahead of the eclipse, due to concerns that a huge influx of tourists could lead to increased traffic, increased wait time for services such as hospitals and gas stations, cell phone signal loss due to stresses on the systems, as well as difficulty accessing food and other supplies.
Schools in the Hays County school district will be closing following a request from local emergency management officials, who are concerned about the extra pressure on traffic and emergency response times by school runs.
“The Central Texas area is expected to see a large influx of eclipse tourism and that could put a strain on emergency response personnel who will be needed to assist with traffic control and other crowd management in parts of our county,” district spokesman Tim Savoy said in a statement seen by the Austin American-Statesman.
Schools in the Manor and Lake Travis school districts have also announced they will close for the eclipse, with the crowds drawn to Central Texas expected to be similar to if it was hosting a Formula 1 event, according to city of Austin spokesman David Wiechmann.
“While the district originally planned to make the eclipse an on-campus learning opportunity, closing the district is in the best interest of students, teachers, and families,” the Del Valle school district added, explaining its decision.
Whether in school or at home, the day will be focused on viewing and learning about the eclipse, with several districts providing viewing glasses to students. Ahead of the event, check out our handy guide to viewing eclipses safely. As always, safety first.
Leave a Reply