SUNY Morrisville is gearing up for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, inviting students and the community to watch this once-in-a-lifetime experience together.
A tent will be set up in the academic quad (near Charlton Hall) beginning at noon, where free solar eclipse glasses will be given away along with pamphlets about the event and safe viewing information. A limited number of stress relievers, shaped like the galaxy, will also be available.
Leading up to the phenomenon, spectators can enjoy half moon cookies, a photo booth and see a scale model of the inner solar system on display in the academic quad. A live feed of the official NASA eclipse coverage is also planned.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun, darkening the sky as if it were dawn or dusk. The view just before and after totality will include a tiny bit of sunlight around the moon, like a ring of fire. The moon will begin covering the sun at 2:09 p.m., with totality at 3:24 p.m.
SUNY Morrisville has already hosted two events prior to eclipse day, including a visit to the Colgate University Visualization Lab, a digital planetarium that immerses audience members in stunning visualizations from sliding down a microscope to the far reaches of the cosmos.
Additionally, the campus hosted a presentation by Matt Fagan, a science educator from the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), who talked about what happens during a solar eclipse, how to view safely and what to do to prepare for this experience.
See more about the event by visiting the Solar Eclipse events page.