by Tim Crosby
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Looking back on last year’s total solar eclipse is the topic of the next talk in a series focused on the sun and the major role it plays in the lives of humans everywhere, hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
SIU students and other volunteers work during the total solar eclipse, April 8, 2024, at SIU. Students will share their recollections and lessons learned during a talk this Friday.
A panel of students who held a variety of roles at SIU during the eclipse will share their recollections and talk about the lessons they learned by being involved in the celebration of the celestial event last spring, during the next “Journey to the Sun” talk set for 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library. The monthly series will continue through April and will be streamed online.
SIU students were a critical component in the major event at the university, where an estimated 30,000 people from around the world converged to view a total solar eclipse. Some 350 volunteers, including many students, assisted in countless roles, said Cori Brevik, associate professor in the School of Physics and Applied Physics at SIU, who, along with many other faculty and staff, was deeply involved in the eclipse activities.
“Students collected research data, managed a livestreaming broadcast of the eclipse, provided outreach to visitors on campus and assisted with so many other necessary duties,” Brevik said. “Through all the work of everyone involved, SIU was able to offer an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience for all who visited campus.”
Students will discuss taking part in the telescope team that collected eclipse images used by national media around the country, as well as creating a livestream seen by viewers around the world.
All together volunteers including students, university employees and their families, alumni, community members, students and visitors contributed more than 1,400 hours during events on and leading up to the eclipse on Monday, April 8.
The “Journey to the Sun” series is modeled on the previous talk series, “Journey to the Eclipse,” which ran in the months leading up to the 2024 total solar eclipse in Southern Illinois. It is part of SIU’s multifaceted, national heliophysics public engagement program.
Additional talks are scheduled for Feb. 28, March 28 and April 25.