Join the on-campus solar eclipse celebrations

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that’ll have you looking up from your phone for at least a couple hours on Monday, April 8.

McMaster and Hamilton will be among the few places in North America to experience a total solar eclipse. The eclipse will start at 2:03 p.m. and end by 4:30 p.m. The Moon will completely block the Sun for 96 seconds starting at 3:18 p.m., turning mid-afternoon into midnight and filling the sky with stars.

This’ll be the first total solar eclipse over McMaster since Jan. 24, 1925. The next won’t happen until Oct. 26, 2144.

“Having a solar eclipse come to you is such an infrequent event,” says assistant professor Robert Cockcroft, who’s also the director of the William J. McCallion Planetarium.

“Even with all of today’s technology and the fast pace of modern life, we’re still subject to what’s happening in the sky. An eclipse is an amazing reminder for us all. We’ll be talking about this for a long time after the eclipse. This will be one of those ‘where were you when’ moments.”

FREE GLASSES

You’ll need special glasses to safely look at the eclipse. Certified eclipse glasses are available free-of-charge while supplies last for all students, faculty, staff and community partners, courtesy of the Provost’s Office and the Faculty of Science.

Glasses are currently in stock at the Dean’s Office in the Faculty of Science (room 102 in the Burke Science Building).

Glasses will be available at all campus libraries starting Feb. 26.

Glasses will also be distributed at Hamilton, Halton and Norfolk libraries on Feb. 22 and at Burlington and Six Nations libraries on March 4.

Group orders can be made while supplies last by ordering through the Faculty of Science’s W.J.McCallion Planetarium website.

OUTREACH EVENTS

Students and faculty in the Department of Physics & Astronomy are hosting a series of eclipse talks on campus and in the community.

A free Alumni Family Event will be held Sunday, Feb. 19 at the David Braely Health Sciences Centre.

Free public lectures at McMaster are scheduled for March 12, 18, 22, 26 and April 2.

Eclipse shows at the Planetarium will be held during March Break (March 11 to March 15) and on April 3. Register in advance on the planetarium website.

Student eclipse ambassadors can also be booked to deliver community talks.

Full details and updates on all outreach events are posted at the W.J.McCallion Planetarium website.

VIEWING PARTY

All students, faculty, staff, alumni and families are invited to join the W.J. McCallion Planetarium and the Department of Physics & Astronomy for an Instagram-worthy eclipse viewing party on April 8 at the Ron Joyce Stadium.

The afternoon event will feature food trucks, live entertainment and a once-in-our-lifetime celestial event. Free eclipse glasses will also be available at the stadium.

While the event’s free, you’ll need to register in advance at the planetarium website beginning on Feb. 26 to reserve your spot. It’s anticipated the eclipse will be a sold-out show so order tickets early.