Local schools and teachers are gearing up to enable students to be fully engrossed in the country's first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in 38 years.
Most of the country will see a solar eclipse in which the sun is less than 100 percent covered by the moon. Only within a thin 70-mile wide stretch from Oregon to South Carolina will onlookers view the full eclipse.
The rest of the country will see the moon cover 20 to 99.99 percent of the sun. Hot Springs is expected to see coverage at slightly less than 90 percent.
The event is expected to begin in the Hot Springs area shortly after 11:30 a.m. The eclipse will continue until about 2:45 p.m., with maximum coverage occurring at approximately 1:15-1:20 p.m.
Educators are placing safety at the forefront of the experience. A person can be blinded by staring at the eclipse for as little as 20 seconds.
Direct sunlight can burn the eye's retina, which will never heal like a sunburn on skin, even when 99 percent of the sun is obscured. Less severe cases may only result in swelling and can be treated with steroids or other anti-inflammatory drugs.
"Safety during the eclipse is our top priority," said Lake Hamilton Superintendent Steve Anderson in a statement last week. "Looking directly at the sun is unsafe. Because the sun will never be totally covered during our eclipse experience, individuals should wear special eclipse glasses during the entire time they are outside. Solar filter glasses, welding helmets shade 12 or greater, or an indirect projection are the only safe ways to view the eclipse."
Many campuses allowed parents to provide permission for students to view the eclipse outside with proper equipment. Standard sunglasses do not block enough light.
"Hot Springs School District puts the highest priority on safety for our students," said Hot Springs Superintendent Stephanie Nehus. "Each building has purchased certified eclipse glasses or will be creating pinhole viewers for students to use to view the eclipse."
Appropriate eyewear must filter out all but 0.003 percent of visible light, as well as most ultraviolet and infrared. Special filters are still needed to view the eclipse through binoculars or telescopes.
Anderson said absences on Monday will not count against students as long as their parents or guardians check them out to experience the event live. The district requested students be checked out for the afternoon by noon in order to avoid being outdoors during the most dangerous time of the eclipse.
Almost all students will be able to see the eclipse directly outside, through live streams online or through devices such as pinhole viewers and projectors. Classes and schools with approved eclipse glasses requested permission from parents to allow students to directly view the eclipse.
Cutter Morning Star, Lakeside Middle School and Oaklawn Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School are among schools to order glasses for all students to view the eclipse outside. Teachers throughout the county purchased glasses for their own classes. Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton both said students without signed permission slips will not be allowed outside, but will be able to view the live streams provided by NASA.
Anderson said the district planned additional precautionary measures. Each building developed schedules to limit outside transitions during the eclipse, classes normally held outside will be moved inside and recess will be held indoors during the eclipse.
"This will be a special event and a great learning experience for our students," Anderson said. "Our goal is that by taking these steps, we will ensure an enjoyable and safe learning experience."
Hot Springs Junior Academy middle school planned a "total solar eclipse experience" with community organizations, families and volunteers. The school obtained NASA-approved vendor glasses for all of the school's students.
Junior Academy science and math teachers explained the science of eclipses, what to expect and safety lessons for viewing the event. Teachers of language arts, social studies and foreign languages connected how the meanings of eclipses changed over time in different cultures. Various community organizations were invited to campus to build relationships with students and their parents.
Gardner STEM Magnet School plans to broadcast NASA's coverage into all of the classrooms during lunch and into the afternoon. Many schools provided teachers with resources for activities and lessons related to the eclipse.
The next two eclipses over the United States will be in 2024 and 2045.
Local on 08/20/2017