How does your astronomy class at Sacred Heart Greenwich enable you to better understand the world? 

“I think in a lot of ways astronomy is a really holistic approach to education.  The scale of everything is huge, especially the periods in space.  A better understanding of the solar system has enabled me to understand how things work at a high level.  I now know the science behind the seasons, weather, and patterns of the stars and planets in the night sky.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my astronomy education and hope to use what I have learned in college and beyond.” 

What have you learned about solar eclipses in astronomy class?

“Solar eclipses occur when the sun and moon align in a specific way.  The moon covers the sun, converting daylight into darkness.  The significance of the particular eclipse that occurred Monday, April 8, is that it covered over 90 percent of the sun in the New York/Connecticut area, making for a once-in-a-lifetime event.  The last solar eclipse in 2017 was only partial and did not have the same appearance.”

Why is the 2024 Solar Eclipse a significant event?

“Eclipses happen often, at least twice a year.  However, one has not had this much coverage in the United States in the last several hundred years.  Annular eclipses do occur, but the moon is too far from the sun to cast a large enough shadow visible to many humans.  Additionally, eclipses usually do not occur in the same area, adding to the excitement of this year’s event.”

The King Street Chronicle thanks senior Samantha Sawhney ’24 for her contributions to “Humans of Sacred Heart.”