Eclipse children’s book brings Mars family to Austin; teaches kids eye safety
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A total solar eclipse will pass over Austin on April 8, 2024. It won’t be the only solar event visiting the area. A family of four from Mars, the Moonies, will fly down to Central Texas, hoping this year they won’t miss out on this rare lunar event.
That’s the premise for Meg Jerit’s new children’s book, “The Moonies”. “A children’s book definitely provides this opportunity to really get all the significance of this moment,” Jerit said.
According to Jerit, the family came to Central Texas after missing the 2017 eclipse. They get to enjoy the sights of the area and witness the eclipse while also learning about proper eclipse safety. Each copy of the book comes with two pairs of eclipse glasses.
“I just feel like to experience a total solar eclipse as a child would be a pretty amazing experience,” Jerit said.
The Austin-based author comes with strong ties to the eclipse. Her father is the owner and CEO of American Paper Optics. “We make all of the eclipse glasses, the largest manufacturer of Eclipse glasses in the world,” said Meg’s father John Jerit.
American Paper Optics has manufactured eclipse and 3D glasses for more than thirty years. They already shipped 40 million glasses for the upcoming total solar eclipse.
“I’m going to be doing 100,000 glasses at the University of Texas, Austin,” John Jerit said.
Make-up eclipse
“The Moonies” story draws a lot from Jerit’s family story. In 2017, they had planned to witness the total solar eclipse over Nashville.
Moments before the eclipse began “this giant mushroom, thick mayonnaise thick cloud came and just killed the Eclipse for us,” John Jerit said.
He’s hoping this upcoming eclipse will make up for the last one. “I’ve got it, I gotta make sure it works.”
Eclipse safety tips from the experts
It should go without saying, but looking directly at the sun without proper safety precautions could lead to eye damage.
“[I see] a few patients a year that have either accidentally looked at the sun or were trying to view an eclipse,” said Dr. Andrew Neighbors, a Seattle-based optometrist.
Proper eclipse glasses, like those manufactured by American Paper Optics, follow specific guidelines. Look for the letters ISO on the back to ensure they are rated to prevent sun damage. “It’s a very, very dark piece of film,” Neighbors said. “ISO 12312-2 is the international standard (of the film).”
Eclipse Tips: Why you need glasses to prevent permanent eye damage during an eclipse
John Jerit said that in 2017, fake eclipse glasses were common on the market. Be sure to check your glasses are real before using them.
Children’s safety during the eclipse
While American Paper Optics has published safety books in the past, this is their first children’s book. “The fact that it’s set in Austin and Austin having totality makes it all even more fun,” John Jerit said.
“A lot of these concepts are big concepts anyway. So it’s helpful even for an adult to have it sort of broken down,” said Meg Jerit.
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Children (and adults) will need to wear eclipse glasses up until totality occurs. This is the moment when the sun is completely blocked by the moon.
“Make sure that you put them on before you look up,” Neighbors recommends.
“I just feel like to experience a total solar eclipse as a child would be a pretty amazing experience,” said Meg Jerit.
You can learn more about eclipse glasses and purchase a pair directly from American Paper Optics or get a pair if you purchase a copy of “The Moonies”.
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