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(Above) Thomas Catipon looks up to see the eclipse through safety glasses. (Below) Mary Palmer's Integrated 2 math class crowds around to look at the eclipse as it appears on paper. (Bottom) Donald Calvin looks into one of Ben Mongerson's contraptions. Photos by Alison Watkins.

FHS experiences astronomical phenomenon

Students at Foothill enjoy the eclipse which occured during third period.

COLUMN
By ALISON WATKINS
fhspress.com Editor-in-Chief
Posted August 22, 2017

The eclipse was very beautiful yesterday. I do not actually know if it was beautiful; I value my vision so I did not look at the sun with all its glory.

Some students were lucky enough to experience the eclipse at its best and brightest at the end of third period. Some saw it through special glasses and others saw it through pinhole camera-like boxes. Mary Palmer used the classic method of poking a hole in a piece of paper, putting it up to the sun and seeing the moon's path on another piece of paper below. Ben Mongerson and his wife made a few of the pinhole boxes for the students to see the eclipse safely.

Many students were not allowed out of class to see the eclipse. Several teachers were worried about protecting our eyes. Other teachers let their students watch the eclipse on NASA or YouTube.

“I was really glad to experience this eclipse because the next one is in 20 years,” said Paige Watkins, a sophomore at FHS.

I wanted to take a photo of it, but sadly that wasn’t an option. If I were to photograph the eclipse I would permanently damage a $6,000 camera. I saw a few students take a photo with their phones, but I didn’t want to accidently damage my phone camera either. Next eclipse I will get the proper equipment to safely take the photo; since its in 20 years I have plenty of time to get ready.

Even if I procrastinate.

alison.watkins@fhspress.com

FOOTHILL HIGH SCHOOL fhspress.com SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA