The Total Solar Eclipse

By Emily (grade 6)

On August 21st, 2017 me and a lot of other Oregonians, including my classmates got to experience our first total solar eclipse. Eclipses like this are very rare. People are lucky to see one in their entire lives. You have to be in the right place to view it, or you have to travel to another state, or in extreme cases, another COUNTRY. Us Black Butte students didn’t have to go anywhere. We stayed right where we were. Well, I think my classmates did, anyway. I went to Sweet Home to see it. It was still the same experience, just not as long. Let me explain some of the reasons why the solar eclipse is so significant and special.

The last time a solar eclipse like this took place was February 26th, 1979. It crossed through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota. Of course, me and my classmates weren’t alive then, which is why it was awesome to have a total solar eclipse in 2017. When the moon was almost completely passed over the sun, it immediately went from bright and hot to dark and cool in seconds. All the previously singing birds stopped chirping, thinking it was night. The nature and wildlife was silent for the entire remainder of the eclipse.  

I didn’t see this, but flowers also close up during the eclipse preparing for sunset. I’m sure the animals were confused when it became light a minute later. They probably thought it was a really short night. Our dog and cat was outside the whole time, and they didn’t know what to think. When the solar eclipse was over, videos of it were scattered all over the internet just hours later. Ilya Goheen said: “It was actually pretty cool.”

As a lot of people know, staring at the sun for any amount of time during a solar eclipse can cause serious vision problems, temporary or even permanent vision loss. That’s why everyone needed to have those glasses. But you didn’t need the glasses the entire time. I took the glasses off and looked around at the trees and nature. It was really dark and cool. It sadly only lasted for like a minute and 40 seconds. It was disappointing when it was over.

The next solar eclipse will be on April 8th, 2024. It will be visible over North America, Mexico, USA and Canada. In case you’re wondering where it will be in the USA, it’s the state of Texas. If you want to see it you might have to do some traveling. I hope to see it, but who knows If I’ll be able to? I might just go to Texas in 2024 to see another amazing eclipse. Video footage can’t show how cool it really looks. You’d just have to see it yourself.  Cody Hanks said: “It was amazing.” I definitely agree.  

I’m really glad and lucky I got to experience this with my family this year. At first, I didn’t think this was a big deal, or that it was worth getting up at 10 a.m. during Summer break. But it’s totally worth it. I would have regretted it so much if I hadn’t seen it.