MANASQUAN/BRIELLE — Area children and their parents from across the Jersey Shore focused their eyes on the skies on Monday to spy the partial solar eclipse, the first to occur in years.
Children at the Manasquan Public Library were treated to a double feature during their weekly Monday afternoon activity, getting both a clear view of the solar eclipse and an educational visit from children’s book author Beth Ferry. Afterward, they enjoyed two craft stations inside the library.
Their fun began at about 3:15 p.m., when children’s librarian Kathleen Conte gathered the youngsters in the children’s section of the library and handed out solar eclipse glasses, making sure to emphasize how important it was to keep them on while marveling at the infrequent astrological event.
“Don’t look up without using these glasses,” she warned the kids, while demonstrating with her own pair of glasses.
After some practice, the group was ready to watch. They were joined by some of the children’s parents as well as Ms. Ferry, who would later read some of her books aloud.
Outside, on the back lawn of the library, the eclipse earned cries of delight from the kids, several of whom remarked how dark and how cool it became as the sky darkened overhead.
Elsewhere in the area, students from the Brielle Elementary School [BES] watched the eclipse using special glasses provided by school officials.
Leading up to the eclipse, science teacher Vanessa Hyland taught her 7th grade class much of the science behind the rare eclipse. So much so that Ms. Hyland’s seventh grade students designed slideshows and activities to educate their third- through sixth-grade peers about the solar phenomenon and the necessary precautions to safely enjoy it.
Each of Ms. Hyland’s seventh-grade students designed their own viewing shields that were specially decorated and used to witness the partial eclipse.
Another Brielle primary science teacher, Kenn Yee, ordered eclipse glasses for each student and teacher so that the Blazers community could safely witness the partial eclipse.
“I am fortunate to work with a great staff here at BES, and I greatly appreciate their professional collaboration to make the eclipse a memorable learning experience for our students,” Superintendent Stacie Poelstra told The Coast Star.
While not a total solar eclipse in New Jersey, the sun was approximately 85% to 90% covered by the moon at the event’s peak about 3:25 p.m. on Monday.
On Jan. 31, NASA officials hosted a media briefing to provide information about the then-upcoming eclipse. Kelly Korreck, the 2024 program eclipse manager, displayed a graphic showing that a total solar eclipse would be visible in certain parts of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, New York, New Hampshire and Maine. Elsewhere, a partial eclipse would still be visible, which is what was we all saw here in New Jersey. Officials in that briefing explained that another total solar eclipse would not be visible from the United States for 20 years.
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