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Total Solar Eclipse

Academic Focused Events

National Eclipse Balloon Launches

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  • swetman field 
  • 8 AM - every hour until 5 PM 
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The Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP) is a unique NASA and NSF-supported field campaign fostering student STEM engagement during two solar eclipses while collecting valuable scientific data. The objectives of the project are to identify and characterize stratospheric gravity waves, characterize the rapidly evolving properties of the planetary boundary layer, and quantify the variable environmental lapse rates. Eighteen SUNY Oswego students are actively participating in the field campaign by launching specially designed weather balloons that travel from the surface to the upper limits of the stratosphere collecting extremely rare information about the atmosphere during the total solar eclipse.

 


Opening Remarks and Welcome

Opening remarks and a welcome will be given by Dr. Shashi Kanbur and President Peter O. Nwosu, Ph.D.

 


Guest Lecturer, Professor Sarbani Basu

How Well Do We Know Our Star

Dr. Sarbani Basu is the William K. Lanman Jr. Professor of Astronomy at Yale University, USA. Basu conducts research in the fields of solar and stellar astrophysics. She has been studying both the general properties and the details of the structure and dynamics of the Sun, focusing on solar-cycle dependencies. Her interest in putting the Sun in a general astronomical context has led her to use asteroseismic data obtained by the Kepler and TESS spacecrafts to study other stars. 

 


Guest Lecturer, Professor Martin Hendry

From eclipses to event horizons: a century of testing Einstein’s gravity

Dr. Martin Hendry is Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology at the University of Glasgow, where he is also Clerk of Senate and Vice Principal of the University.  He is a senior member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration: the global team of more than 1500 scientists who, with their colleagues in the Virgo Collaboration, made the first ever detection of gravitational waves - a discovery awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics. Martin is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and is also a Fellow (and currently Vice-President) of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy of the Arts and Sciences. He is a passionate advocate for science education and communication and in 2015 he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth for services to the public understanding of science.

 


Guest Lecturer, Professor Earl Bellinger

Could there be a black hole inside the Sun?

Dr. Earl Bellinger is currently an Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Yale University. He completed his undergraduate studies at SUNY Oswego in 2012, where he double-majored in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. Following his time at Oswego, he did internships at NASA and NIST before obtaining his Master's degree in Computer Science at Indiana University and his Ph.D. at the University of Göttingen in Germany. He was then a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Stellar Astrophysics Centre in Denmark, and subsequently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany. His research focuses on stellar evolution and pulsations, and how measurements of pulsating stars can lend precision constraints to various fields throughout astrophysics.

 


Science Demonstrations

Oswego’s Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments will provide a variety of outreach programs and demonstrations for visitors of all ages.

Electrical & Computer Engineering Demonstration, Shineman 410 

ECE will demonstrate several student projects in the Robotics Lab. Projects will illustrate practical applications of engineering in several areas including, robotics, microcontroller applications and autonomous systems.

Chemistry Demonstration, Shineman 106

Explore thermochromic materials with the Chemistry Department. Learn how leuco dyes are used to make materials change color as they get hotter or colder. Hands-on will activities include:

  • Color-changing origami with thermochromic paper
  • Disappearing ink with thermochromic pens
  • Color-changing toys including lab putty, Hot Wheels, and mood rings
  • Touch and see squares

Physics Demonstration, Shineman 282 & 285 

More details to come.

Computer Science Demonstration, Shineman 429

More details to come.

 


Guest Lecturer, Professor Anil Pradhan

Life in the Universe, describing the search for exoplanets and what we might look for

Dr. Anil Pradhan is a Professor in the Department of Astronomy, Chemical Physics Program, Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program at Ohio State University. He is the Director and Co-Founder of Indo-US Center for STEM Education and Research. Pradhan is a Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Teaching and Research Scholar.

 


Guest Lecturer, Professor Lyn Blanchfield

Eclipses in the Medieval World: Signs and Interpretations

Dr. Blanchfield has a Ph.D. in late medieval Italian history. Blanchfield’s research focuses on the history of religious rituals in medieval Italy and gender and emotions in the medieval world. She has been teaching history at SUNY Oswego since 2010 and is also the SUNY Oswego Fulbright Program Advisor for the US Fulbright Program. 

 


Guest Lecturer, Honors Class 300

Eclipse in Ancient Civilizations Presentation.

 


Solar Eclipse – Looking Up (Art Display) 

 

Related Information

See All Events

See our full schedule of events featuring speakers, educational workshops, exhibitions, and community gatherings. 

Eclipse Glasses

Oswego is giving away free eclipse glasses to students, faculty, and staff, one pair each, starting Monday, March 18th.

Eclipse Facts & Stats

Experiencing a solar eclipse is an unique event. It unfolds in stages, with totality revealing the Sun's atmosphere.


 

A Note on Safety and Photography 

When observing a solar eclipse, it's crucial to safeguard your eyes with ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or a specialized solar filter, as regular sunglasses offer inadequate protection and could lead to severe eye damage or blindness. Additionally, shield your skin from extended sun exposure by applying sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, and donning a hat. When photographing the eclipse, ensure eye safety by using a camera equipped with a designated solar filter, capturing the Sun's corona only during totality.

Related News and Articles

Image of a total solar eclipse courtesy of NASA

SUNY Oswego plans activities connected to April 8 eclipse

View of a solar eclipse through a viewfinder -- courtesy of Delse Pauly DM under a Creative Commons license

Faculty member offers 3 tips for photographing the eclipse

Eclipse 101 with faculty expert Shashi Kanbur

Video: Eclipse 101 with faculty expert Shashi Kanbur


Total Solar Eclipse

Learn about what is taking place at SUNY Oswego during the event.

Total Solar Eclipse