Locals gather on Iowa City's Pentacrest for solar eclipse — even without totality
Iowa City residents packed into the heart of the University of Iowa campus Monday, April 8, to view the county's first solar eclipse in seven years.
The UI Physics & Astronomy Department provided 2,200 pairs of eclipse glasses to eager locals so they could safely catch a glimpse of the sun and moon's convergence from the Pentacrest.
Astronomy lab coordinator and Van Allen Observatory manager Caroline Roberts helped compile some of the resources available downtown, including glasses, solar telescopes, pinhole cameras, and more, all of which were free to the public.
Roberts was pleased with the turnout and how Mother Nature cooperated for the phenomenon.
“We got incredibly lucky,” Roberts said. “About week ago, weather forecasts were really not looking good.”
Light cloud cover loomed in the build-up to the eclipse’s peak, around 2 p.m., though it had little effect on eclipse viewing.
Cheers rang out across the Pentacrest once the moon nearly covered the sun. Viewers hung around for more than an hour after the eclipse peaked, which lasted roughly four minutes.
The moon obscured about 85% of the sun in Iowa City.
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A rare phenomenon
Monday's solar eclipse was a spectacle for all ages, from young children to students and senior citizens.
Fourth-year University of Iowa student Macy Mann has attended past Van Allen Observatory events. She said the eclipse was great to experience with so many community members.
“I’ve seen the moon up close a couple of times before,” Mann said. “Now, it’s been super cool to see the sun in this kind of way.”
Freshman Charlotte Littlemoon said she often feels a sense of wonder for space. She was invigorated by joining so many interested residents on Monday.
“It’s neat to see more community events and doing stuff where there’s a bunch of people out here for a collective thing, just for fun,” Littlemoon said.
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Roberts was pleased to see so many people engaging with science, especially astronomy.
She said her field "is without a barrier for entry" and believes it's her job to keep it that way. She plans to help by offering people many of the seem resources they did Monday on the Pentacrest.
“We worked hard but the event kind of made itself,” Roberts said. “I just love that people care this much about astronomy and things happening in the skies.”
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: University of Iowa, Iowa City host eclipse viewing party on Pentacrest
