The Solar Eclipse - July 22, 2009

To my surprise, we were able to take our students outside to view the solar eclipse on July 22. We didn't know just how dark it might be during the total eclipse phase, so some of us brought flashlights. My students were equipped with special glasses to protect their eyes. A few of the girls seemed reluctant to go out for the viewing, but they came along anyway. The boys were all eager to see it. We stayed out for about 30 minutes, including some of the partial phases and the full total eclipse phase. The total phase came about suddenly; in a matter of a few seconds, a formerly bright sunny day turned dark (although not as dark as I had expected). It was quite breath-taking. Hundreds of people were gathered in the small courtyard, and to a person, everyone gasped audibly when it happened. The students were amazed by it. The Chinese, even very educated ones, are quite superstitious, and somehow, they saw this event differently than we Americans did. Some of you may have seen this event on the Internet. Google and many TV stations broadcast it.