Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing Event at University of Jamestown
Weather permitting, a UJ professor is hosting a gathering to watch the eclipse
JAMESTOWN, ND — Associate Professor of Engineering at University of Jamestown Cherish Bauer-Reich is hosting a unique celestial viewing event. Pending clear skies, Bauer-Reich invites the community to join her on UJ’s Allen Field today, April 8, from 1:40 until 2:15 p.m. to view the solar eclipse.
According to Bauer-Reich, a solar eclipse is a rare and awe-inspiring event where the moon passes between the sun and Earth, temporarily blocking the sun’s light and offering viewers the unique opportunity to observe the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona.
The path of totality, where the moon completely blocks the sun, will cut through middle America allowing more than 30 million people from Texas to Maine to witness the perfect alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth in the early afternoon. This phenomenon won’t occur again in the United States until 2044.
North Dakota is expected to have a significant 60% occultation to witness.
“I wanted to provide an opportunity for our community to safely experience this astronomical phenomenon,” said Bauer-Reich. “While we aren’t in the path of totality, the partial eclipse will still be a sight to behold.”
The sun will be partially eclipsed from 12:46 until 3:03 p.m., with the maximum coverage occurring at 1:54 p.m. To ensure safe viewing, Bauer-Reich will distribute approximately 50 pairs of solar lenses to attendees. In addition, materials for creating pinhole cameras will also be available. The event is free and open to all who are interested.
“We encourage everyone to come out and get a pair of glasses,” adds Bauer-Reich. “This is a rare event and we’re excited to share it with the community.”
More information about the event can be found by contacting Cherish Baur-Reich at 701-252-3467 ext. 4304.
The Role of Scientists in Solar Eclipses
The people most excited about the eclipse are scientists, who for centuries have conducted experiments that can only be done during a syzygy, or alignment of celestial bodies. While the moon is blacking out the sun for several minutes, they’ll be scrambling to gather data about the solar system and also observe how animals behave when day suddenly turns to night. In fact, helium was discovered during the 1868 eclipse, highlighting the scientific significance of these events.
