NASA Online Game Teaches Louisiana Kids About Eclipse

The days of anticipation across Louisiana have dwindled down to a final few and on Monday the entire state will experience a more than partial solar eclipse. The only drawback to Monday's featured performance could be the threat of severe weather and strong storms on Monday. Hopefully, that won't be the case where you live but for many in Louisiana Monday will not be "the perfect" eclipse viewing day.

That doesn't mean you won't be able to see the eclipse as the moon's shadow glides across Texas, Arkansas, and a host of other states casting a long and deep shadow over each. Here in Louisiana, we aren't in the Path of Totality, but we are close. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has a tool that you can use. You'll find it right, here. That allows you to enter your zip code and it will calculate just how much of the eclipse you will see at that location.

What Causes an Eclipse?

While the spectacle of it all is the reason most people are attracted to this every so often celestial event there is an opportunity to learn that's quite intriguing as well. For example, do you know what causes an eclipse? Why do only certain parts of the country see the shadow? How come this doesn't happen more often?

The answers to those questions are based in science and since a lot of us don't know that much about the subject, we turn to experts. The digital team at NASA has actually created an online game suitable for kids who are seven years old or older to play. The game not only requires critical thinking but it helps kids of all ages to understand how and why eclipses occur.

Play NASA's Eclipse Game And See How Much You Really Know About Eclipses

The game is called Snap It ! An Eclipse Photo Adventure, if you want to play, you can do that, right here. The synopsis of the game is this, you, the player, are helping a "traveler" take photos of the eclipse. In order to help you have to understand and that's where the educational aspect of the online game comes in.

Hopefully you will have a chance to play through this once or twice before Monday so when the questions start flying in your general direction you can have answers for kids, co-workers, your spouse, or anyone else who managed to not pay attention to the countless thousands of stories that have been written about this event.

Please protect your eyes and if you manage to take some good photos on Monday, please, share them with us.