Cardelle Calls Eclipse Event ‘a Momentous Occasion’

By EMILY HILBERT
ONEONTA

A partial total eclipse of the heart occurred across the country on Monday, April 8, and while we did not have complete totality across Otsego County, many events were hosted to celebrate the more than 95 percent coverage that was visible during the afternoon. One such event was a collaboration between the SUNY Oneonta Department of Physics and Astronomy and the A.J. Read Science Discovery Center.

The event included livestreams of the eclipse from NASA, free eclipse glasses while supplies lasted, and activities for all ages, both indoors and outdoors. Activities included decorating paper plates to put over the eclipse glasses, to make them more fun.

Anna Rutenbeck, coordinator of science outreach activities at the SDC, said she was excited to be offering a fully accessible event for the community. Tactile and accessible interactives were available for those with visual impairment or who are hard of hearing, as well as eclipse sonification, where the eclipse would be converted into soundwaves to hear and feel. Armed with a group of 10-15 student volunteers, Rutenbeck and her team coordinated a highly anticipated and well-attended event that was fun for everyone.

Even the volunteers were enjoying themselves and expressing their eclipse fever in creative ways. Brooke Hofmann, a freshman at SUNY Oneonta, excitedly showed off her “eclipse nails” that she hand-painted in preparation for the day. Volunteers were distinguished by their 3D “Celestial Guide” buttons, which were printed in-house at SUNY Oneonta with light-sensitive materials, meaning the white lettering would change to orange when they stepped outside, just another example of the attention to detail in the planning of this event.

It was not just the volunteers and attendees who were having fun. SUNY Oneonta mascot, Red the dragon, was having a blast and practicing proper safety guidelines by wearing his eclipse glasses. He even stopped for a look at the sun through one of the four telescopes provided.

Many of the events outside were focused on the sun before or during the eclipse. Before the eclipse, attendees could look through the telescope to observe tiny sun spots, which are giant magnetic storms and are about the size of Earth. During the eclipse, an experiment with disco balls was used to see the different types of reflection an eclipse could produce.

Dr. Valerie Rapson, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, said she was “hoping to see at least 1,500 people, both students and community members” during the event. “We just wanted to bring science to as many people as possible,” she added.

When asked for his take on how the day was going, SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle called it a “momentous occasion” and said this was “demonstrated by the number of people [in attendance].”

Cardelle applauded organizers for their outreach to the local community.

As the eclipse neared, the anticipation began to build in the crowd; anticipation which was perfectly encapsulated by a local Oneonta first-grader, Ethan Everett, who kept chanting, “Solar eclipse! Solar eclipse! Solar eclipse!” hoping others would join in. His enthusiasm was infectious to all who could hear. The majority of viewers headed to the middle of the SUNY Oneonta campus, to the President’s Garden, to get a good view.

Eclipse glasses: on. The show: about to begin. While the eclipse itself lasted well over an hour, the peak time for observation was 3:24 p.m. and lasted for about a minute or so. During that time, people eagerly looked to the sky to see what Mother Nature had in store. Cheers and clapping erupted as the moon inched its way across the sun, cloaking onlookers in an almost twilight-like atmosphere.

After the show, the students and community members began to slowly pack up. Rutenbeck quickly jumped in to collect any eclipse glasses attendees were done with. These glasses will be donated to Eclipse Glasses USA, an organization that will recycle the glasses and donate them back to school children in South America to use for their upcoming eclipse in October.

But just how many people came to the event? According to Jill Shea-Feury, director of media relations for SUNY Oneonta, 1,500 eclipse glasses were distributed on April 8 alone, with 275 handed out within the first 10 minutes, and supplies running dry at 2:06 p.m. An additional 725 pairs of glasses were handed out in the weeks prior to the eclipse. According to organizers, 2,200 visitors were counted at the SDC, and 3,000 people filled the SUNY Oneonta campus to catch a glimpse of the eclipse.

The next solar eclipse to cross Otsego County will occur on August 12, 2026, however the coverage will only be about 20 percent—not as spectacular as the April 8 event, but still exciting. After that, the next scheduled total eclipse will be in August 2045, but that one will not be crossing New York State. Folks will be waiting for a while for the next total eclipse to cross Otsego County. That won’t happen again until May 2079—a remarkable graduation gift for the SUNY Oneonta Class of 2079.