The Great American Solar Eclipse School of Physics Field Trip

Prepare to witness a remarkable celestial event as a total solar eclipse sweeps across the United States, painting the sky with its breathtaking shadow. The School of Physics is organizing a field trip with (mostly) graduate students to the peak of totality in the south-east corner of Illinois, near Marion. The total duration of totality will be 4 minutes and 08 seconds. The partial eclipse will begin at 12:42 pm and reach its maximum totality at 2:01 pm.

When a solar eclipse occurs, the moon positions itself between Earth and the sun, causing the sun's light to be partially or completely blocked from certain viewpoints on our planet. During a total solar eclipse, the moon obscures the sun, revealing only its corona for a brief moment. This awe-inspiring phenomenon will span a 115-mile wide path, stretching from Texas to Maine. This natural phenomenon is absolutely breathtaking and is a must-see in one's lifetime. It's rather peculiar to witness a daytime that resembles nighttime, defying our typical expectations. Just as the sky grows darker, the stars and planets come into view, the birds hush as if getting ready to sleep, the streetlights flicker on, and a eerie atmosphere permeates.