Eclipse viewing safety prompts JP Schools to release students early Monday

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WVUE) - At least one major school system in southeast Louisiana is planning on releasing students early Monday (April 8) due to the potentially harmful effects of viewing the solar eclipse without proper eye protection.

According to Jefferson Parish Schools, campuses on both the east and west banks will release students between 10:15 and 11:20 a.m. on Monday.

“While this event promises to be an incredible learning experience, we want to take every precaution to protect the safety of our students,” leaders said in a statement sent to parents obtained by Fox 8. “Viewing a solar eclipse directly, as well as through a camera lens, telescope, or binoculars without proper eye protection, can be harmful to the eyes and we want to ensure that our students are as safe as possible.”

Jefferson Parish parents were taken by surprise by the announcement Thursday.

“I think it caught a lot of people off guard. Not just parents but teachers,” said Haynes Academy parent Michael Bonura. “I know some of the elementary schools purchased the glasses and were going to do lessons around it. But you got the whole weekend to make a plan.”

If cloud cover cooperates, “first contact” will be visible beginning around 12:30 p.m. The moon will shroud the sun for a little over three-and-a-half minutes around 1:45 p.m. The partial eclipse concludes just after 3 p.m. The New Orleans area will see about 82% of a total eclipse.

The National Weather Service is providing daily updates of its cloud cover forecasts along the path.

“This early dismissal time will allow our students to arrive home before the eclipse begins,” the school board’s message concluded.

The district’s message also said if students wish to view the eclipse at home with their parents, missing school Monday would count as an excused absence.

“I think a lot of parents were caught off guard today, getting that word,” Bonura said. “Obviously I think we had enough parents that showed concern that the kids would want to look at it with or without their glasses. The guys up above made that decision.”

Education leaders in Orleans, St. Charles, St. Tammany, and Terrebonne parishes are not adjusting school schedules.

St. Charles Parish is providing glasses for students to view the eclipse with supervision while at school.

Catholic schools in the area ordered protective eyewear for their students, who will be allowed outside for a ten-minute viewing session. P.E. classes will be held indoors and there will be no outside practices or recesses until the full eclipse has passed.

”It’s something you want to be very careful not to look directly at,” said local community health expert Dr. Eric Griggs. “I know we tell the kids, the new astronomers, not to look directly at the sun. That counts for adults too.”

An estimated 44 million people live within the path of totality, with another couple hundred million within 200 miles (320 kilometers), guaranteeing the continent’s biggest eclipse crowd ever.

But Griggs warned those planning on viewing the eclipse, both children and adults, not to look directly at the sun because the sunrays are more intense.

“It can cause what’s called a solar retinopathy, which is damage to the main part of your eye, your retina,” Griggs said. “We’re not really sure how long it takes for the damage to take place. Could it be a blink? Could it be a stare? Could it be a quick look? We don’t know. Don’t do it!”

ECLIPSE COVERAGE

One Tech Tip: How to use apps to track and photograph the total solar eclipse

Eclipse expected to cause travel chaos; here’s how to navigate the roads and skies

What to know about next week’s total solar eclipse in the US, Mexico and Canada

Where to find eclipse glasses

Since counterfeit glasses abound, consider purchasing glasses from a local science museum or order online from a seller cleared on the American Astronomical Society’s website.

Eclipse safety experts say legitimate eclipse glasses should block out ultraviolet light from the sun and nearly all visible light. When worn indoors, only very bright lights should be faintly visible – not household furniture or wallpaper.

Old eclipse glasses from the 2017 total solar eclipse or October’s “ring of fire” annular eclipse are safe to reuse, as long as they aren’t warped and don’t have scratches or holes.

Glasses should say they comply with ISO 12312-2 standards, though fake suppliers can also print this language on their products. NASA does not approve or certify eclipse glasses.

How to view the eclipse without glasses

If you don’t have eclipse glasses, you can still enjoy the spectacle through indirect ways such as making a pinhole projector using household materials.

Poke a hole through a piece of cardstock or cardboard, hold it up during the eclipse and look down to see a partial crescent projected below. Holding up a colander or a cracker will produce a similar effect.

Another trick: Peering at the ground under a shady tree can yield crescent shadows as the sunlight filters through branches and leaves.

Eye experts warn against viewing the eclipse through a phone camera. The sun’s bright rays can also damage a phone’s digital components.

Practically everyone on the continent will get to see a partial eclipse. You can watch the whole thing unfold online, too. NASA is offering several hours of streaming online from several cities along the totality path. You can also watch live from Fox 8′s national content provider, Local News Live, at fox8live.com/live.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.