Old Westbury students celebrated the solar eclipse on campus on Monday April 8. New Yorkers have not seen a total eclipse since 1925.
Students on campus only experienced 88% of totality. Other students took a five-hour bus trip upstate to SUNY Oswego to experience the total eclipse. The Oswego trip was hosted by OW STEAM, CSTEP, the Physics Club, and the Department of Chemistry and Physics.
Students going to Oswego gathered near the Campus Center flagpole at about 4:37 in the morning to board the three buses reserved for the trip. Everyone was given solar eclipse glasses so that they could look at the sun safely. The OW students joined a lot of Oswego students to view the eclipse which started at 2:25pm at Oswego.
With the solar eclipse glasses, viewers could safely see the moon gradually covering the sun. It came from the right towards the left. It took about an hour for the total solar eclipse to occur. A total solar eclipse can be safely viewed by the naked human eye, but any other time before or after totality you need protective glasses.
The weather forecast in Oswego was cloudy, but the people could see the sun for seconds at a time throughout the solar event. The sky turned into a dark blue color, mimicking a dark evening.
After the solar event, students could get lunch at either of the cafes the school offered before departing at 5:00 p.m. The bus ride back from Oswego was a little over seven hours due to heavy traffic.
Back at Old Westbury students did not see a total eclipse but 88% of totality was still a spectacle to behold. As the anticipation mounted outside the Campus Center, free eclipse glasses and snacks were available for the first 600 attendees. There were ice cream trucks, chips, and water to make the experience more enjoyable.
The moon began its slow journey across the face of the sun around 2:40pm. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as students, faculty, and astronomy enthusiasts alike gathered to witness this rare phenomenon. Strangers exchanged excited conversations, united by a shared curiosity and appreciation for the wonders of the universe.
At around 3:20 p.m. all eyes turned to the sky that was getting darker and darker. Everyone was eager to see the eclipse. The crowd started to cheer in excitement as they gazed skyward. Unfortunately, there were some clouds blocking the eclipse, but it was still enjoyable.
The father of a family of four expressed his family’s excitement. “We love anything related to space in this family,” he said. “We actually traveled to Charlotte back in 2017 to see that eclipse in totality. So that was a lot of fun and this one won’t be quite as cool as that one but it’s still amazing.”
