F&M Stories
Campus Celebrates Solar Eclipse
It’s not every day you catch a cosmic phenomenon between classes.
Franklin & Marshall students did just that Monday, witnessing the country’s last total solar eclipse until 2044.
“It's really cool that it's here on campus. Last time, I had to travel to go see it,” said junior Bryce Roach, who traveled from his hometown of Warrington, Pa., to catch the 2017 eclipse in North Carolina.
Roach was joined by fellow ultimate frisbee teammates on Hartman Green, where students, faculty and staff gathered to catch the partial eclipse. F&M’s Physics Club hosted a table with viewing glasses and a Sun Spotter, a tabletop device that tracked the progress of the eclipse.
Others watched from the observing deck of Hackman Physical Sciences Laboratories. Nearby, the North Museum hosted a day of eclipse-themed activities.
As the moon's shadow swept from Texas to Maine, Lancaster received a partial eclipse. It began in Lancaster at 2:06 p.m, peaked at 3:22 p.m. with 91% of the sun blocked by the moon, and ended at 4:34 p.m. Learn more in this series of eclipse videos by Ryan Trainor, associate professor of physics and astronomy.
Cloudy conditions didn’t dim the spirits of cosmic revelers, who let out a collective cheer whenever the sun reappeared.
“This is the first time I've ever seen an eclipse,” said first-year Steven Taveras, of Miami.
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