Carthage community experiences the 2024 solar eclipse

Carthage’s campus provided a perfect location for students to view the 2024 solar eclipse on April 8.

Faculty from the Physics and Astronomy Department set up telescopes on the Straz Center patio and near the outdoor classroom for the duration of the eclipse — about 2 1/2 hours in total. The department provided tools to safely view the eclipse.

“It’s always satisfying for me as an educator in the sciences to see people experiencing a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them,” said Professor Julie Dahlstrom, chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department.

Students, faculty, and staff who gathered to view the eclipse noted that the temperature dropped and the sunlight hue changed. A sunny, cloudless spring day made viewing optimal for Kenosha’s deep partial eclipse that covered more than 90 percent of the sun.

Many students viewed a solar eclipse for the first time. Though eclipses regularly happen somewhere in the world, the next eclipse viewable in the continental United States takes place in 2045.

Sponsoring Department, Office, or Organization:

Physics and Astronomy Department