Everybody calm down; the sun is not going away, and it’s not the end of the world (yet)—it’s just the 2024 solar eclipse.

April 8, a total solar eclipse was visible over 15 states and most importantly: Western Pennsylvania.

The last eclipse occurred seven years ago in 2017, and yes, 2017 was that long ago—but we weren’t that close to its path so it wasn’t nearly as impressive as the most recent eclipse.

Seven years is a long time to remember exactly what is a solar eclipse, so allow me to refresh your memory: a total solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, thus blocking our view of the Sun.

But this outer space phenomenon isn’t just something you can waltz outside and take a gander at, unless you want to permanently damage your eyes.

Viewing the sun with the naked eye during the eclipse can burn your retina and cause temporary or permanent vision loss. The worst possible case of staring at the sun—called “eclipse blindness”—is blindness among those who have stared at the event for too long.

Thankfully, there is a solution: eclipse glasses. These special glasses are cheap and allow you to stare right at the sun during totality.

Without glasses, an alternative is to use something unexpected: cereal. Well, not the cereal per se, but its box. Using a cardboard box, scissors, duct tape, aluminum foil, a pin, a knife, and a piece of paper, you can construct a pinhole projector. A pinhole projector projects the eclipse inside of a cardboard box thus allowing you to see the eclipse while protecting you from the blinding light.

Where could I find a pair of these glasses? How much would they cost? Are you sure I can’t stare at the sun? To answer all three questions you’re probably thinking of: Mr. Hanlon . . . who had hundreds of eclipse glasses available in his room for over a week, free to anyone who needed them.

The solar spectacle actually led to multiple area school districts having early dismissals including Aliquippa, Ambridge, Beaver Falls, Blackhawk, Western Beaver, New Brighton, Central Valley, Hopewell, Midland, Freedom, Riverside, and Beaver County Career and Technology Center.

Beaver Area opted to just have a half day since the time of totality would correspond with the College Square dismissal. We wouldn’t have wanted every little kid to be staring at the sun while sitting on the bus, now would we.

What made this year’s eclipse so exciting though is the fact that the path of totality hadn’t crossed over Pennsylvania in over 217 years since the summer of 1806. Unless you are immortal, having the path of totality cross our state was something to take a day off and observe with friends and family—even though the totality path was over Erie.

Don’t be bummed that you would have had to take a two hour drive to Erie in order to see 100 percent of the eclipse; residents of the Pittsburgh area were still able to see around 95% of the eclipse.

“I didn’t expect it to get that dark—caught me off guard,” said junior Kaelin Wooley.

Hopefully you got a chance to see the eclipse, because the next one isn’t going to happen over the United Staes until 2044. Oh no, we’re going to be in our 30’s by then!