WIU Physics Club travels to see the eclipse

By Keilan Goodridge, Guest Reporter

On Monday, April 8, nine dreary-eyed Physics students gathered before daybreak in the Currens Hall parking lot at Western Illinois University (WIU). They were seizing the opportunity offered by the WIU Physics Club to view a rare celestial phenomenon—the 2024 solar eclipse.

Macomb experienced a partial eclipse, the total solar eclipse swept through the United States, down into Mexico and up through Canada. Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale, Illinois was one such place located comfortably in the ‘Path of Totality’, where the Sun would be completely blocked by the Moon.This made Carbondale the target destination for the Physics Club, motivating them to embark on an almost five-hour-long journey from Macomb beginning at 6 a.m.

The STEM students were accompanied by Estaban Araya who is a seasoned astrophysicist, researcher and one of WIU’s faculty members. Araya works for the Astrophysics Research Laboratory at the university, and concentrates his research primarily on massive star formation. A trip to see the solar eclipse was therefore a collaborative effort devised by astronomy-focused members of the Physics Department, and the Physics Club whose president is Chelsie Hadley.

“Organizing this trip was like conducting a symphony of dedication and excitement. Despite the early hours and logistical hurdles, I knew it would all be worth it. Witnessing the solar eclipse with fellow enthusiasts, guided by Araya’s expertise was a testament to our shared passion for discovery,” said Hadley.

Despite minor hiccups in the journey and unexpected stops, the club arrived at SIUC just after 1 p.m. The university had visibly gone into complete shutdown in anticipation of the eclipse. Students roamed the campus freely as all classes had been canceled, and the Saluki Stadium had been transformed into a solar eclipse viewing center.

Hadley and her team arrived at around 1:15 p.m. By this time Araya, his colleague and students had already set up the Physics Department’s three different types of telescopes on the SIUC pedestrian bridge. One of the telescopes had a phone attachment which was used to livestream the planetary event for viewers in Macomb. Members of the WIU group busied themselves handing out free solar eclipse glasses to passers-by, some of whom took a keen interest in looking through the telescopes and asking questions.

The solar eclipse reached totality exactly at 2:00 p.m as predicted. Members of the club cooed in awe of the darkening environment which was one of the clearest signs of totality. Some people took their specialized solar glasses off, since a total solar eclipse can be viewed with the naked eye. Coming in at four minutes, Araya noted that it was “the longest eclipse” he had ever witnessed.