On Aug. 21, 2017, University of the Cumberlands (UC) hosted a viewing party for the campus community during the total solar eclipse.
The viewing party took place on the lawn of Moss Hall and was organized by Dr. James Manning and Dr. Larry Newquist, both professors in the Department of Physics at Cumberlands. The event was an opportunity for students to witness the solar phenomenon in a safe environment, providing solar glasses and telescope lenses with solar filters.
“I hope students will realize the beauty and wonder of nature that this event displays,” Newquist said. “I also hope they come to have an appreciation of science and its ability to predict such events. Mostly, I hope they come away from this event having experienced a shared event with others in the UC community that maybe brings us all a little closer together.”
Monday’s eclipse stretched from coast to coast across the United States. While Williamsburg was not directly in the path of totality, the campus did experience a maximum coverage of 98% shortly after 2:30 in the afternoon.
“[This event] gives us freshmen the chance to meet a bunch of new people in a cool way,” said Madison Tabor, a first-year student from Ashland, Kentucky. “We get to hang out, looking at an eclipse, which is something people can’t say they do every day.”
The last total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. took place in 1979, while the last coast-to-coast eclipse occurred in 1918.
Located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, University of the Cumberlands is an institution of regional distinction offering quality undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online degree programs. Learn more at ucumberlands.edu.
