RIT astronomy prof says eclipse on April 8 will be ‘awesome’
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Dr. Michael Richmond, an astronomy and physics professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, on Saturday at Hoag Library discussed the upcoming total eclipse on April 8, the first total solar eclipse in Western New York in nearly a century. The last one was on Jan. 24, 1925.
In a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. Orleans County is in the path of totality.
During the eclipse on April 8 at about 2 p.m., a little bite obstructing the sun will gradually get bigger and bigger until the moon will fully block out the sun from about 3:18 to 3:22 p.m. The partial eclipse ends at about 4:30 p.m.
During the four minutes of totality, the sun may look like a halo with the blockage of the moon.
“It’s unreal,” Richmond told about 75 people during a presentation at Hoag Library. “The sky will be completely dark, except the glowing corona. It’s one of the things in the natural world that makes people go, ‘Awesome!’”
Hoag Library’s main meeting room was full on Saturday with people wanting to hear about the upcoming solar eclipse.
Richmond said the area will see a big influx of visitors. The Rochester region anticipates 300,000 to 500,000 people in the area to see the eclipse.
Tonya Lustumbo of Carlton attended the lecture. She traveled to Nebraska on Aug. 21, 2017 to see the spectacle.
“The moment of the eclipse was very memorable,” she said. “It was surreal. It was awesome to see.”
Lustumbo on Saturday was wearing a shirt promoting the April 8 eclipse. She has bought 100 solar-viewing glasses and mailed them to friends and family.
Richmond shows a slide detailing the path of totality, which goes through Western New York on April 8.
A potential detriment on April 8 to viewing the eclipse: cloudy weather.
“If it’s overcast and rainy, it will be as if there is no eclipse at all and you’ll be very sad,” Richmond told the crowd.
Sue Starkweather Miller shared a headline from the Medina Journal-Register, the day after the Jan. 24, 1925 eclipse. The eclipse started at 9:09 a.m. and some businesses didn’t open until 9:30 so employees could be outside for the eclipse. Except the weather didn’t cooperate.
“Clouds prevent view of eclipse,” the newspaper reported the next day.
Richmond said he is hoping for clear skies on April 8 so the region can see the solar spectacle.
Debbie Restivo, left, and Nancy Mack wear solar-viewing glasses which were given away for free on Saturday at the library. The cost is covered by the Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL) program, which is providing 5 million of the glasses to 10,000 libraries.
