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As the moon masks the sun and dims the daylit sky on April 8, many students in Calgary will remain at school as a precaution against the solar eclipse’s effects on their eyes.
The eclipse, returning to Canada after 45 years, will be viewed partially from Calgary as the Earth, moon and sun form a near straight line. The three celestial bodies align almost every six months, but what makes this occasion rare is that the shadow of the moon will kiss the Earth.
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However, the spectacular display, which will grace Calgary’s skies from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., comes with risks to one’s eyes.
The relative dimness forced by the eclipse will make it easier for people to look at the sun, thus allowing higher amounts of solar radiation into our eyes and boiling our retina, said Dr. Phil Hooper of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society in a previous interview.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Calgary Board of Education invited all students to remain at school during the lunch break, while requesting parents send their children to school with lunch.
“If students are not participating in educational activities around the event, schools may choose to have students … involved in supervised indoor activities,” the CBE said in a statement, further advising parents to instruct their children not to look at the sun if they decide to walk home during lunch.
The Calgary Catholic School District did not respond to requests for comment about its plans for the eclipse.
For those who wish to watch the event, the University of Calgary’s Rothney Astrophysical Observatory at Crowchild Trail on 32nd Avenue N.W. will be complete with telescopes and eclipse-viewing glasses.
— With files from Laurice Gomes
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