On Monday, April 8, the College of Science, along with the Department of Physics, will host a solar eclipse viewing party at Drillfield.
The moon will completely eclipse the sun in parts of the United States, and in the Blacksburg area the moon will cover 88 percent of the sun at approximately 3:15 p.m. The sun will not be fully eclipsed in the United States for another 20 years.
Students, faculty and staff are invited to the viewing event at Drillfield and are encouraged to arrive as early as 2:45 pm and be in a good viewing position when the eclipse reaches its peak.
“Seeing the solar disk being increasingly hidden by the moon is a spectacular sight,” said Nahum Arav, a physics professor who researches astronomical sciences. “In the middle of the eclipse, not only will a small piece of the sun be uncovered, but the sunlight will become noticeably dimmer.”
During the event, eclipse viewing glasses will be available for free, and there will be 10 viewing stations with solar telescopes that offer an even better view safely. Experts from the physics department will be on hand to provide detailed explanations for those interested in hearing the scientific details of this rare celestial event.
“It’s important to remember,” Arav said, “that it may be tempting to take a look at the sun without protective glasses, but even in the middle of the eclipse, viewing the sun with bare eyes at any time can damage a person’s vision. Please join us so you can get a good look without lasting damage.”
In addition to free viewing glasses, a select number of t-shirts designed for the event will be raffled off, and the college will give away Moon Pies and Starry sodas.
The event depends on weather conditions: If clouds cover more than two-thirds of the sky that afternoon, it will be postponed – until 2044.
Source: Atrevida
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