In anticipation of the upcoming April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse, many schools within the peak viewing areas are planning to close early or entirely for the safety and well-being of students and staff. In some areas, students would be getting on the bus or walking home from school during the eclipse, so their risk of looking directly at the eclipse would be significantly increased.
Pioneer Schools will be closing on April 8. The district will be distributing eclipse viewing glasses to students and staff in advance of the event.
Those who view this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon should review the following safety standards to help prevent injuries. These tips are courtesy of the risk management experts at Utica National Insurance Group.
Only view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection when the moon completely obscures the sun’s bright face – during the brief and spectacular period known as totality. (You’ll know it’s safe when you can no longer see any part of the sun through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer.)
View the sun through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer during the partial eclipse phases, and before and after totality.
As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright sun reappear after totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the sun.
The Importance of Proper Eye Protection
Always inspect eclipse glasses or handheld viewers before use. Discard the device if it's torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged.
Eclipse glasses are not regular sunglasses. Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.
Do not use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with cameras, binoculars, or telescopes. Those require different types of solar filters. When viewing the partial phases of the eclipse through cameras, binoculars, or telescopes equipped with proper solar filters, you do not need to wear eclipse glasses.