This morning, students crowded outside on Main Field to enjoy the superb solar eclipse
On Friday 20th March, the students and staff at Bloxham took a break from morning lessons to enjoy spectacular views of the partial solar eclipse.
After initial worries about cloud cover, the Sun won through and, by the time of maximum obscuration, the view was clear and we watched in amazement as the Sun’s disk was reduced to a thin crescent, the light level fell to near-twilight, and the temperature dropped by several degrees. The Physics Department was out in force with students able to view the eclipse using special viewing glasses; monitor the light and temperature levels using digital recorders; and look at projections of the Sun using pinhole cameras.’ We even used a kitchen colander to project multiple images on one screen! Our GCSE Astronomy students also took the opportunity to photograph or sketch the eclipse as part of their observational coursework.
It was a privilege to see the eclipse and we had good fortune with the weather. These are rare events: most of our students were not even born during the UK’s last major solar eclipse in 1999, and the next significant event is not due until 2026!’ This will be a memorable event for all those in the Bloxham community who took part.