Edmee CR Hasler
Contributing writer
Dr. Truong Le and his astronomy students hosted a viewing of the solar eclipse at Roanoke College, on the Back Quad on Monday afternoon. The eclipse began around 2 p.m. Le and his students had telescopes with solar filters on hand as well as solar eclipse viewing glasses.
About 350 solar eclipse glasses were given out at the event with some spectators having to share.
One of the students, Ella Head, was excited. She said “I’m extremely happy, I haven’t gotten to experience one of these before and the next one is not for 20 years so I am very happy I get to do it now.”
Another student, Bryan Moctezuma, explained that when a solar eclipse happens it means the sun, the earth and the moon are on the same plane, and that is what is so interesting since it doesn’t happen very often.
“This is exciting, we’re not going to get to see this for twenty years, I am getting to see an event live that lines up with a class I am currently in. It is so cool to see so many people come out here to watch as a community and as a college,” said Allyson Shaw.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth, briefly covering the sun. This reveals the sun’s white outer atmosphere, called the corona. On April 8, the moon’s shadow swept across the United States, from Texas to Maine. In the Roanoke region, there was around 86% coverage. There won’t be another U.S. eclipse spanning coast to coast until 2045.
“For the next 20 years, we’re not going to see another solar eclipse in the United States,” said Le, visiting assistant professor of physics at Roanoke College. “So, this is an exciting time to come out and experience something that won’t happen here again until 2045.”
