Though not directly in its path, Central New York was abuzz Monday afternoon over the first total solar eclipse to cross the U.S. since 1979. Hundreds of Syracuse residents gathered on Syracuse University campus for an Eclipse Party, hosted by the university’s physics department, sharing safety glasses and telescopes to catch a glimpse of the moon’s shadow. Thrilled spectators found that communities often band together to share such unusual celestial experiences.
"It's so exciting!"
"I'm really excited...I'm hyped."
"I remember the lunar eclipse last year, I walked out of my apartment, and everything was red. Trickles of people came out of their apartments...it was a surreal moment. It's like a giant bonding experience."
Sam Sampere is Lab Manager of SU's Physics Department.
"There are 300 to 400 people on the quad right now, most of whom probably don't have an affiliation with the university except that they saw the event and took advantage of the opportunity to come up and learn something about the solar system."
Spectators attended a noon lecture on how eclipses occur, why they are rare, and how we can predict them.
Sampere says anomalies like eclipses provide the scientific community with valuable teaching opportunities, as the general public’s interest in science peaks around such events.
"There's a definite spike, but unfortunately, I think it diminishes. But wait until 2024 when we see totality here in Syracuse. I think there's going to be a gigantic spike [in interest] and I'm really looking forward to it."
For this eclipse, Central New Yorkers saw the moon cover about 70 to 75 percent of the sun, enough to make it seem a little cloudy or early dusk, but not as dramatic as other locations that saw more coverage. Central New York will see its own total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
