WAYNESBORO—Astronomer Dr. Larry Marschall will present “Total Eclipses of the Sun and The Great American Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024” on Thursday, February 22 at 7 p.m.
Presented by The Institute online via Zoom, the program is free. Those who register will receive a link to the Zoom meeting via email.
“Total eclipses of the sun are among the most wondrous and awe-inspiring of celestial events, but they don’t often occur in convenient locations,” Marschall said.
“Eclipse chasers normally have to travel to exotic spots like Siberia, Southern Africa, or Central America to experience a few minutes of blissful darkness, but we are fortunate, this year,” he said.
“On April 8, 2024, the shadow of the moon will sweep across the entire United States from the Texas-Mexico border through the midwest to upstate New York and New England over the course of several hours, bringing totality to many major population centers.”
In a colorfully-illustrated talk, Marschall will explore the astronomical nature of solar eclipses, their historical significance, and their significance in the scientific age. He will also give tips on how and where to view the eclipse and what to watch for before, during, and after totality.
A professor of astronomy and physics for many years, Marschall was a visiting research scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and at Yale University Observatory. He wrote The Supernova Story, published by Princeton University Press. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from Cornell University and a Ph.D in astronomy and astrophysics from University of Chicago.
To register, email The Institute at [email protected], or call 717-762-0373.
