A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the sun’s light in some areas.

Last Sunday, Joseph Martin, an astronomy teacher, hosted the watch party Oct. 13. Sadly, the sky was not cooperative, and it was forecasted to be cloudy the entire day.

Martin saw a short break in the clouds predicted in the forecast and an opportunity to watch the eclipse. He connected with students and community members who had demonstrated interest.

He brought together a group of 35 learners of all ages, ranging from kindergarteners to grandparents, to witness the beginning of this spectacular event. For 15 minutes, the clouds left the sky, allowing them to stare up at the moon and the sun. Martin brought activities independent of the weather. He taught his students the scale of the sun relative to the moon on a stationary model and demonstrated how the moon “passes right between us and the sun, casting a shadow on the earth,” said Martin.

Martin said, “We still had fun… that part of the deal with the solar eclipses, you hope for good weather.”

After the thick cloud coverage was clear for the remainder of the eclipse, his group left. At 11:30 a.m., only an hour after the eclipse started, Martin packed up shop.

Overall, the day was as successful as it could be for the state of the sky, and Martin is looking forward to the next opportunity to host an eclipse-watching party. The outreach is to students, teachers, and any eclipse enthusiast in the community.

Martin plans to hold another eclipse watch party on Apr. 8. For those interested, he encourages people to come out during the day.