During yesterday's solar eclipse, North Carolina schools had to contend with both student safety...and timing.
Many public schools couldn't afford to buy solar eclipse glasses for all students. Plus, the partial eclipse happened just as most schools were dismissing students at the end of the day.
So, to help students view the eclipse safely as they left school, STEM teacher Erika Brodsky at Creekside Elementary in Durham hung a disco ball outside the school's main exit. The mirrors on the ball cast hundreds of tiny crescent reflections across the sidewalk.
"So all of these circles, all of these partial circles, these are reflections of the eclipse as it's actually happening. [Student:] Whoa! [Brodsky:] So you can safely look at the eclipse without looking at the sun."
It's a dazzling technique - but to try it out, North Carolinians will have to wait another 20 years for the next total solar eclipse.