Irle First-Graders Experience Their First Solar Eclipse

In an event the captivated people from all around the country, Mrs. Boyer, Mrs. Qualls and Mrs. Billingsley's first grade classes at Irle Elementary got to experience their first ever solar eclipse during the April 8 event. Though the students couldn't get to see the partial eclipse hands-on due to cloud cover, they were able to experience the event a different way, using technology by watching it on the NASA streaming website.

In northeast Montana, there was partial eclipse of the sun with the maximum obscurity of 40 to 50 percent, which occurred around 12:48 p.m., however it was hard to fully experience due to the sky's conditions. The eclipse began at sunrise over the Pacific Ocean, then went through Mexico and crossed the United States from Texas to Maine. Those within the deepest shadow, which went from Mazatlan, Mexico to the Newfoundland cost near Canada experienced a total solar eclipse, and people from all over the country traveled to the path to experience this event.

These Irle Elementary first-graders will be adults the next time a solar eclipse is scheduled in North America. On Aug. 22, 2044, the solar eclipse will come across Cananda and end in Montana and North Dakota. The eclipse will occur closer to the horizon within 30 minutes of sunset. Due to the path of totality, the area is expected to see the solar eclipse in totality.