Physics & Astronomy Lecture Series: Dave Lengyel

Total Solar Eclipses, Past and Future

I will be discussing the upcoming total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, as well as my experiences viewing the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. My presentation will focus on what to expect to see during a total eclipse, as well as some tips on photographing the event. I will explain how eclipses occur, and why they are uncommon from any given spot on Earth, and yet not uncommon somewhere on the planet each year. I will look at the paths of totality in the recent past and near future. The last total eclipse visible from Oberlin was in 1806, so let’s hope for clear skies in April.

Photograph by Dave Lengyel