2017 Solar Eclipse

BY: ELENA MISHKOVSKY '19

PTS Falconer Staff

On Monday, August 21st, North America was treated to a rare sight. The first total solar eclipse in 38 years occurred around two o’clock EST to a wide range of excited viewers all across the United States.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and blocks most or all of the sun for up to about three hours. The eclipse’s path of totality (where the shadow cast by the moon on the Earth is the darkest), extended over a diagonal line across the United States. It extended from near Washington to South Carolina. Florida, unfortunately, was not in its path of totality, but we did still get to experience effects of about 80% of the eclipse.

Although it didn’t get completely dark, there was a slight darkening of the sky and an eerie glow around Palmer Trinity members viewing the spectacle from the football field.

Palmer Trinity members’ experience watching the eclipse can be further explained by a fellow student, junior Mariana Navarro. “The best part of the eclipse was how the Palmer Trinity community came together to watch such a special event. I was surprised about seeing a solar eclipse, because when I was little I watched a lunar eclipse.”

This recent solar eclipse was the most viewed in history, the last one being in 1979. The momentous event brought together the whole Palmer Trinity community in an exciting viewing, and will remain one of the most stunning spectacles to be seen at our school.