Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
PERFECT TIMING
West Chester University: Clouds part just in time for glimpse of eclipse
WEST GOSHEN —Those were no mellow oohs and aahs you heard coming from South Campus, at West Chester University, Monday, when the sun burst through the sky, at just the right moment, during an eclipse.
More than 500 sungazers worried that they might get shut out by the clouds and not be able to view when the moon would cover up to 90 percent of the spring, afternoon sun. Instead, at 3:22 p.m., the clouds parted and students, professors, kids and the masses raucously cheered for a glimpse of the uncommon celestial event.
It was almost a surreal event as most gazed skyward, with what looked like multi-colored 3-D glasses, to protect their eyes from the sun.
Karen Schwarz is director of the WCU Mather Planetarium and professor in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences. Schwarz was overwhelmed with the turnout.
Rather than strictly learning, she said the students were “experiencing” the eclipse between the sun and moon.
Matt Kershner is a freshman studying in Supply and Chain Management with Health Care.
“It’s nice to gather together,” Kershner said. “People care about science.”
Jamie McCauley was watching the eclipse with her mother Kathy Gordon and her husband Ryan.
“It’s almost once in a lifetime,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”
Two telescopes were set up to view the sun were set up and three sun spotters reflected the image onto paper.
Sam Horner from East Falls, Philadelphia is a senior studying Geology. He was helping mostly kids play a matching game where the phases of the sun were put in order.
“This is fun for everybody,” Horner said. “Everybody likes to figure out what the moon looks like and how it interacts with the sun and earth.”
Earth and Space Science Department student and a senior studying Geo Science Justin Quinn was earning a little bit of extra credit. He was handing out bracelets that with UV light change colors.
“Everyone has been going crazy about this,” he said about the buildup. Jose Cartagenia is also a Geo Science major and a senior.
He said that 750 pairs of free eclipse glasses provided by the university ran out quickly and he was shocked that so many people came out to the event.
“It’s a once in a while thing,” he said.
Marc Gagné is a professor of astronomy and teaches with the West Chester University Department of Earth and Space Sciences. Gagné and the university presented the eclipse program at South Campus on Monday.
He said that a solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon and earth line up perfectly.
“When that happens, the disk of the moon fully covers the bright disk of the sun,” Gagné said. “At any moment only a small spot on the sur
face of the Earth is in complete shadow.
“As the moon moves around the earth in its orbit, the spot moves from west to east on the earth’s surface. That swath is called the path of totality.”
Gagné noted that the students are “really into it.”
Craig Steiner took Gagné’s Galaxies and Cosmology class last year and he learned a better understanding of relativity.
“Marc brings the world of space to an understandable level,” he said.