Saints celebrated the April 8 solar eclipse on campus and up in the Adirondacks with games, fellowship, and of course, awe-inspiring views of a darkened sky.
A group of about 50 students boarded a bus chartered by the Dudley Observatory at Siena to head upstate to Tupper Lake, which was in the path of totality.
“Seeing the eclipse definitely unlocked a core memory for me,” said Jaime Cochran ‘25. “If wonder were a sound, it would be everyone’s cheering, gasping, and childlike excitement as the entire landscape was transformed into a beautifully temporary darkness. I’m so grateful to have been a witness to this incredible event, and to have enjoyed the entire day with my peers and the greater community.”
“The eclipse trip was a super fun experience for me as it gave me the opportunity to bond with everybody in the major outside of academic purposes!” said Jillian Cola ’25. “The eclipse itself was breathtaking as I’ve personally never seen anything like that in my life, and I’m super grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it firsthand.”
John Moustakas, Ph.D., professor of physics and astronomy, observed the eclipse with family and friends near Saranac Lake.
“This is the second total solar eclipse I've had the privilege of witnessing, and both times I have been awestruck by the event,” he said. “There’s that singular moment when the sun literally disappears from the sky, and it’s as if you're standing on another planet. Absolutely amazing experience!”
Meanwhile on campus, hundreds gathered on the academic quad and the townhouse lawns to see the Capital Region’s 96.6 percent totality. The light dimmed but not to the point of darkness, and it got noticeably cooler. Astronomy faculty from the School of Science and Dudley Observatory offered viewing activities throughout the afternoon.
The next solar eclipse will pass through New York state in 2079.
