Monday, September 11, 2017

The Solar Eclipse of 2017

The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men 
          Gang aft agley, -Robert Burns

We had big plans for the Solar Eclipse on August 21st. It was going to be our first field trip of the year. We had plans to go to the library where there was going to be a little lesson on the solar eclipse and safe viewing practices, snacks and crafts. They also had a limited supply of safe viewing glasses. Well, I didn't want to run the risk of not getting glasses, so I ordered some of the NASA approved glasses and we headed to the library with plenty of time to spare - I thought it would be wise to be there at least a half an hour early. 

When we arrived at the library, all of Denton County was there, too! In fact, I could not even drive my car through the parking lot of the library and there were definitely no parking spots available. A crowd of people snaked around the perimeter of the building. It was clear that the library was not going to be the best place for us to experience the eclipse, so we turned around and headed back to the comfort of our own back yard. 

By the time we made it back home, the moon was already inching across the sun. We ran out back and viewed it using the glasses I had purchased ahead of time. (I gave myself a pat on the back for good planning.)



As it turns out, our backyard was an awesome place to watch the eclipse! Gabe was especially mesmerized! 



Faith liked seeing the moon shaped shadows the pin hole made on the paper. 






We had about 75% coverage here. It got a little bit darker outside, but not much. We devoted the entire afternoon to the eclipse and I am so glad we did. It was an amazing event! That is one of the joys of homeschooling. We didn't stop learning, we just focused it for a moment on what was happening in our world at that time. We talked about why it happens, when it has happened in the past and when the next one will happen. (In 2024 a lot of Texas will be in 100% totality!) Moments like these make learning fun and so meaningful!! 


 Did you see the eclipse? 

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