This years solar eclipse, which was a world wide event, and ranged a path of totality from Texas up to New York, in the US. The Eclipse began in Mexico, then crossed through the United States and Canada. This event was specifically important to the US as well as all of North America, Hipcamp Staff explained, “Thirty-one million people live in the path of totality within the United States alone. The next total solar eclipse that will be widely viewable from North America won’t occur until 2045!”

Looking into a solar eclipse can be very damaging to peoples eyes, Adithi Ramakrishnan from the NBCDFW explained, “Eye damage can occur without proper protection. The sun’s bright rays can burn cells in the retina at the back of the eye. The retina doesn’t have pain receptors, so there’s no way to feel the damage as it happens.” This is why there have been so many protective measures put in place to protect everyone’s eyes and sight, mainly by wearing specific glasses, called Solar Viewers, which decreases the amount of sunlight that enters your view.

Mill Creeks annual evacuation drill was held during the school day of the eclipse, which also allowed all students the opportunity to view and experience the eclipse from the schools stadium, Jadyn Peckham,10, stated, “The experience was overall amazing and super fun especially being able to see it with my friends and then my family once I got home.”  Students were given solar viewers by their 7th period teachers, same for the middle and elementary district schools, to use when outdoors.