Dear Mayfield teachers, staff, students, parents and community
We will experience a once-in-a-lifetime event on Monday, April 8, 2024 when a total solar eclipse stretches across Ohio from 3:08-3:19 p.m.
Students will not be in school on April 8th as part of the district’s scheduled Professional Development Day (previously scheduled on April 12th).
Classes will resume April 9th and continue for the remainder of the week.
Wildcats, enjoy this celestial event with your family and friends!
Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse. Be sure you're familiar with when you need to wear specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing by reviewing these safety guidelines.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, people within a 124-mile-wide band in Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. The path covers Ohio's Three C's, spanning from the southwest corner of Ohio, through Columbus, and all the way up to Akron and Cleveland.
As with any celestial event, timing is everything; solar eclipse occurs when a new moon is positioned precisely between Earth and the sun and casts its shadow on Earth. This year, the total solar eclipse visits Ohio on April 8, 2024, beginning at 3:08 p.m., with the final exit of the Moon’s shadow happening at 3:19 p.m. (Driving is anticipated to be extremely congested – eclipse watchers from across the country are expected to converge on Cleveland, Columbus, etc.)
The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the Sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun.
With the exception of the very brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the sun unless you are using eye protection specifically for solar viewing -- homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses are not safe for looking at the sun.
Do not view any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the instrument. Doing so without such a filter could cause immediate and severe eye injury.
The next time a total solar eclipse will be visible in Ohio is 2099. The last visible total solar eclipse in Ohio was in 1806.
RESOURCES
2024 Solar Eclipse I Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
2024 Ohio Total Solar Eclipse I Ohio Emergency Management Agency
SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024 I Cleveland Museum of Natural History