As parts of Texas prepare for a rare solar eclipse, the Blinn College District invites the public to participate by attending a Great American Eclipse viewing event on the Blinn-Bryan Campus on Monday, April 8th, hosted by Blinn’s Physics Department.
The event will last from Noon until 3 p.m. in the Blinn-Bryan Student Center courtyard. According to Blinn Astronomy and Physics Professor Dr. James Freeman, the eclipse will begin at 12:20 p.m. with the most complete coverage of the sun occurring at 1:39 p.m.
“The Bryan/College Station area eclipse coverage will be 98.4%, so we will get some of the dark-sky effects that accompany a total eclipse. However, the part of the sun that will remain uncovered is still very bright, so don’t look at it without solar viewing glasses,” Freeman said. “We will have several telescopes and other viewing devices on hand which will afford a couple of different views of the eclipse. Being this close to the path of a total eclipse is rare, so we want to provide a safe way for the public to experience it and hopefully spark a continued interest in astronomy.”
Blinn’s eclipse viewing event is open to all ages. Blinn will have a supply of solar viewing glasses available for use, but the public is encouraged to bring their own. All telescopes will be properly filtered to provide eye protection.
Sun Spotter devices will allow children to leave the event with a souvenir. Sun Spotters create an indirect view of the eclipse by projecting the sun on a piece of paper that can be traced.
Blinn’s Associate of Science Degree in Physics is designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution to complete a bachelor’s degree in the field of physics. Blinn’s Physics Program is part of the Division of Natural and Physical Sciences, which also includes programs in biology, biotechnology laboratory sciences, chemistry, geology, and veterinary technology.
Photo from Blinn College Press Release