Marion County residents, students view eclipse
A bit of history was made Monday as the first total eclipse in decades took place and students across Columbia and Marion County had the chance to observe.
In Columbia, approximately 82 percent of the sun was covered by the moon during the process, which took several hours.
“Whoa, I see the moon,” a student exclaimed as he pushed his special eclipse glasses to his face at Columbia Primary School.
“NASA donated some of the glasses and then we went all over the state to find the others,” Columbia School District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Deedee Randall said.
Monday’s event was the first total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. since Feb. 26, 1979. The last one prior was on March 7, 1970.
The next total solar eclipse over the continental U.S. is slated for April 8, 2024. After that eclipse, the next on will be on Aug. 23, 2044. Total solar eclipses will also follow in 2045 and 2078.
“We allowed the entire district, with the exception of kindergarten classes, to view the eclipse,” Superintendent Jason Harris said. “The kids did a great job keeping their glasses on. We held dry runs for them to practice and to learn about the eclipse. DeeDee (Randall) sent information to the staff about two weeks ago. The students have been learning ahead of time. It’s a great experience for them. It’s a part of history.”
Students at Columbia Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School and Columbia High School also took part in viewings of the eclipse.
Students in the Marion County School District also viewed the event,
“The adults had as much fun as the students,” Superintendent Wendy Bracey said. “The oohs and ahhs of young and old were worth it. I’m glad we offered our students and staff the chance to participate. It was a great experience inside and out.”
At both school districts, students who did not have proper eye protection or whose parents had opted not to allow them to view the eclipse watched it on television.
Pictured Above: Students at Columbia Primary School use special glasses to view the solar eclipse Monday.
