STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York state will soon see its first total solar eclipse in nearly a century — and several school districts are planning to close for the rare and exciting phenomenon.
On Monday, April 8, the total solar eclipse will be visible to people across North America. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. During this time, the sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk.
New York state has several cities in the path of totality — and hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected.
According to several media reports, many school districts are preparing ahead of time by closing their school buildings and campuses on April 8. That’s because the flood of tourists is expected to create slow-moving, snarled traffic jams, according to NYup.com, the Advance/SILive.com’s sister site.
The Buffalo City School District — which is the second-largest district in the state — is giving its approximately 32,000 students and staff the day off on April 8. Totality is expected to reach Buffalo at 3:18 p.m., which coincides with the end of the school day.
All but one of Erie County’s 28 public school districts will also close its schools for the day, according to NYup.com.
Other big school districts in the state, such as the City School District of the City of Niagara Falls and the Lockport City School District, have canceled classes for the eclipse. And in Central New York, which will see a partial solar eclipse, the Liverpool Central School District closed its campuses on April 8.
The Syracuse City School District will give its students a half-day, according to a report by CNY Central.
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will encompass the western and northern parts of New York state. In less than 15 minutes — within a 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. window — the moon will pass between the Earth and sun.
The roughly 100-mile wide path of totality will enter in the southwestern part of…
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