Students from across the school gathered outside of their classes to watch the solar eclipse Thursday and share in the astronomical phenomenon, using telescopes specially fitted with lenses to directly view the eclipse up close that were provided by SDA parent Vann Parker.

Between 2:15 p.m. and 4:42 p.m., 43 percent of the sun was blotted out by the moon as both celestial bodies passed over the earth

Parker was first exposed to the field in college, taking notice of the planetary sciences even while he majored in biology. Parker shared his fascination of astronomy with SDA students, not only giving them a chance to view such an event with such great equipment, but teaching them about what causes these events, how to safely observe eclipses with proper filters and lenses, and how one can predict them years before they happen.

“I think it’s amazing that even centuries ago people could predict these events,” said Parker. And while the partial eclipse has passed, people will have a chance to see a total eclipse in August of 2017, when the entirety of the sun will be overshadowed in an even rarer natural phenomenon.