If the turnout for Saturday’s partial eclipse was any indication of what we can expect to see during the full eclipse in early April, then locals should prepare to see a huge jump in visitation.

Astronomy Professor, Caty Pilachowski, said Bloomington can expect to see upwards of 200,000 visitors. She equated this to the visitation resulting from 6 football games happening all at once.

Even with rain, cold weather, and poor viewing conditions, a significant crowd gathered at the Kirkwood Observatory to take tours, learn about the telescope, and witness the partial eclipse.

The viewing party started at 11:30 a.m. and lasted until 2 p.m. which coincided with the start and end times of the eclipse. The rain and clouds prevented viewers from seeing the moon’s slow climb across the sun for most of the day. However, the clouds parted right as the moon was in the best position to cover the sun.

People swarmed outside, raising solar lenses to their eyes, and gasping in excitement at the sky. Professor Pilachowski witnessed the eclipse during this peak time and described what she was able to see through her protective viewing lenses.

“Through the filter, it looked like a beautiful orange sun covered by a black circle, or at least about half covered by a black circle. Other parts of  the country see what’s called a ring of fire eclipse where the moon is a little further away during this eclipse, and it doesn’t quite cover the full disk of the sun, so you see a ring of bright sun around the moon. Here it is just partial. We had about half the sun covered,” Pilachowski said.

The viewing party was hosted by students in IU’s astronomy club. They live streamed during the eclipse offering information on what viewers can expect to see, what astronomers can learn during an eclipse, and other fun facts. Despite having the equipment to project images of the eclipse to the audience, clouds prevented them from being able to get a clear image to share with viewers.

Students in the club also prepared interactive and educational games, created information pamphlets, and passed out eye protection.

Students explained that they were surprised and delighted at the turnout despite the disappointing weather. The partial eclipse offered the astronomy club an opportunity to troubleshoot any issues and practice for the total eclipse coming in April.

Although small crowds circulated through the observatory and kept students busy on Saturday, it was only a fraction of the number of people they are expecting to host for the total eclipse.

Local astronomy enthusiast, Joyce Wemer, explained what happened during a partial eclipse while she was living in Maryland.

“It was 2018, and I was in Maryland at the time. I was actually a library branch manager, so I was working in a library, and we had all kinds of fun for anybody. We gave out eclipse glasses. We were a small library, but I asked for a thousand glasses. Nobody else thought it would be popular, but all the sudden everyone wanted glasses,” Wemer said.

 

Saturday’s eclipse is a smaller astronomical event than what is coming in April for a few reasons. Firstly, unfavorable weather and a poor geographical location for viewing the eclipse meant that enthusiasts were drawn to other areas to view it. Additionally, this eclipse was only partial, meaning the moon did not fully cover the sun.

However, in April, Bloomington will be on the path of totality. This means we will have the best view of the eclipse. Additionally, the moon will fully cover the sun during this eclipse. Even if there are rainy and cloudy conditions in April, people here in Bloomington will still witness a major shift in the amount of light coming from the sky. Those who want to view the total eclipse should mark their calendars for April 8, 2024.