Community gathers at SC4 to witness solar eclipse
As darkness crept over Port Huron Monday afternoon, it was met uncharacteristically with cheers from crowds who gathered to view the partial solar eclipse.
At St. Clair County Community College, students and instructors were joined by community members who gathered to watch as the moon blocked out most of the sun. Solar telescopes and eclipse glasses were made available for viewing the celestial event safely while the college's student government served popcorn.
A solar eclipse happens when the earth, moon and sun are aligned with the moon between the earth and sun, casting the moon's shadow onto the earth and making it appear in some parts of the world that the moon has blocked out the sun.
The college had been preparing for this event for six months. For many it was at least the second partial eclipse they had ever witnessed after 2017, when an eclipse was also viewable in Port Huron.
It will be a much longer wait for the next partial eclipse in Port Huron, which won't happen again until Sept. 14. 2099.
"We get two solar eclipses a year (on Earth)," said Patrick Wilcox, an astronomy and physics instructor at SC4. "What makes them so memorable is when you can view them from your backyard."
For Wilcox, eclipses are exciting because they can be accurately predicted and are a great chance for the scientific community to demonstrate it's understanding of the universe to the public.
Joe Gibbons, an SC4 chemistry instructor, also said the ability to predict the cosmic movements of the earth, sun and moon was part of what made eclipses special.
"It's exciting for me to know we can predict this with such accuracy," Gibbons said.
The eclipse provided an opportunity for SC4's science department faculty to introduce other community members to the interests. Gibbons introduced community members to the college's solar telescopes, built to safely observe the sun. Wilcox, meanwhile, helped operate a portable planetarium set up in SC4's college center, only the second time the college has had time to use it.
Linda Ridley of Fort Gratiot said she appreciated the college's work to make the eclipse viewable to members of the public by having telescopes and free eclipse glasses available.
"I'm very impressed with all SC4 has done to make this available to people," Ridley said.
Evan Walker, a student at SC4 from East China Township, watched the eclipse on campus with his father. They both saw the eclipse in 2017, but even the second experience was still exciting.
"It's so fascinating that the moon blocks out the sun and we are able to see it," Walker said.
Contact Johnathan Hogan at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Community gathers at SC4 to witness solar eclipse