USU Welcomes Public to Annular Solar Eclipse Observation Event Saturday, Oct. 14

With people around the globe, Utah State University scholars look forward to Saturday’s annular solar eclipse with excitement and wonder. USU’s College of Science and Space Dynamics Laboratory invite the public to join them outside on the USU Quad in Logan, from 8 a.m. to noon, to learn more about this fascinating celestial phenomenon and how to safely observe it.

“This will be the first time since 2012 that an annular eclipse has been viewable from Utah,” says James Coburn, teacher and laboratory supervisor in USU’s Department of Physics and coordinator of the USU Observatory. “Here in Logan, we won’t be in the path of totality for the Oct. 14 eclipse, but we’ll be at about 80 percent, so we’ll still get to observe the moon passing between us and the sun.”

In Logan, the eclipse will begin at about 9:09 a.m., reach its maximum at approximately 10:28 a.m. and gradually taper off by about noon.

“The eclipse will be the most visible between 10-11 a.m.,” Coburn says.

The word “annular” comes from the Latin word anularis, which means ring-shaped. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, while the moon is at its farthest point from the Earth. At this distance, the moon appears smaller than the sun and does not completely cover the star.

“For Saturday’s eclipse, the path of totality passes through parts of central and southwestern Utah, where observers will view the distinctive ‘ring of fire’ effect with the sun’s light shining all the way around the moon,” Coburn says. “Here in Cache Valley, we’ll observe a ‘C’ shape as the moon covers most of the sun, from our northern Utah perspective.”

At the Oct. 14 event, Coburn will briefly describe the eclipse, and he and his students will have solar telescopes set up for visitors to view the eclipse. Teresa Jensen, Deputy Director, Civil and Commercial Space at Space Dynamics Laboratory, will also address guests and provide a brief overview of the lab’s recent highlights.

Space Dynamics Laboratory and College of Science volunteers will offer a limited number of eclipse glasses for guests, along with learning activities where guests can make their own eclipse viewers. In addition, refreshments will be available, along with interactive exhibits of the lab and college’s recent research endeavors.

“Our gathering also marks our local observance of the kick-off of NASA’s Heliophysics Big Year, which is a global, year-plus-long celebration of solar science, and the sun’s influence on Earth and the entire solar system,” Coburn says.

NASA, he says, offers a variety of free, online learning resources at science.nasa.gov/sun/helio-big-year.

The USU Quad is the large, grassy area east of Old Main. The Cache Valley Transit District provides zero-fare bus service at frequent intervals to Utah State’s Logan campus, including the Green Loop bus route, which provides a convenient stop at the southeast corner of the USU Quad.

Visitor parking is available in USU parking terraces located at 700 East 600 North, 850 East 700 North and 1071 East 700 North in Logan.

For more information, visit the USU eclipse event website.