The solar eclipse as seen from SVCC

By Tristan Oelrichs

Sauk was lucky enough to be in the path of the eclipse on April 8th. Even though we were not in the path of totality, it was a sight to see as we experienced around 92% total coverage.

Science Club and the SVCC Learning Commons joined together and hosted an eclipse viewing event outside on the east riverside lawn. The event was free and open to community members as well as the students and faculty members. 

There were 50 eclipse glasses handed out to the first 50 people, and free popcorn was provided. The event garnered around 75-100 people at least as the eclipse glasses had to be shared. 

According to the Time and Date website, the eclipse officially started at around 12:48 pm, hit its maximum coverage at 2:03 pm, and ended at 3:20 pm. In total, the eclipse lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes.

When the eclipse first started, the only noticeable change was that the moon was slightly in front of the sun. As time went on, the moon slowly moved further in front of the sun. Once the moon was covering around 75% of the sun, the lighting outside became slightly dimmer. However, even at the peak of 92%, it didn’t get any darker.

I observed my peers, faculty members, and community members all enjoying the sights of the eclipse. The atmosphere was electric and everyone's excitement was contagious. I found this as a nice opportunity to get involved with SVCC and the local community. 

Having never seen an eclipse before, I anticipated how it would actually be to experience it for quite a few days and I wasn't let down. Being able to see it with my own eyes was more meaningful than seeing it in a video or picture as I felt I was more involved.

Overall, being a part of this community event and being able to collectively experience the eclipse was amazing. Science Club and the SVCC Learning Commons did a wonderful job at arranging and facilitating such a thoughtful and interactive event.